When a plan comes together... or not.

[cthulu2016]

I get that we don't want chemical weapons used, but after that rather obvious statement of a wish the connection between plans and goals becomes murky.

We must intervene is a civil war but we do not know which side we want to win and thus we do not want to affect the outcome.

We need to deter history's greatest monster who gasses innocent civilians... but we don't want to remove him from power.

We need to make sure he doesn't use chemical weapons in the future by bombing his conventional weapons, leaving the chemical weapons in place while increasing his military desperation.

I am not just being a smart-ass here... these are our real goals (sic) and planning concerns according to what the WH is telling reporters, apparently in all seriousness.

[arcane1]

1. And, last I heard, domestic propaganda is now legally allowed.

I honestly don't know what to do about Syria, because I just don't know!

[pkdu]

2. Lets leave aside the "smart-ass" versus "naive" question for a second and ask is it your position

That we should let Assad gas all dissenters with impunity?

YES/NO?

If "YES" , thank you for your answer.

If "NO" , at what point should we intervene?