Has Syria Crossed the "Red Line?" Should the US Intervene?

On March 21 of this year, President Obama declared that “We will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people.” Over the past week, reports are coming in that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may already have crossed this line, although there is reasonable doubt about this.

Remember, in class we discussed threats, deterrence, and how credibility is necessary for these to be successful. Read the pieces linked above and answer the following questions for participation credit:

1. Do you trust the intelligence that indicates the use of chemical weapons by Assad's government? Why or why not?
2. If so, should the US back up the threat posed by the Obama Administration? Or should we trade a bit of credibility in exchange for staying out of yet another conflict in the Middle East?