A report that ran in 2013 in the New York Times posed the question in response to reports of chemical attacks: why? Today, the UN announced they’re investigating a possible chlorine gas attack in Aleppo. When the first reports were released in 2013, it was a serious escalation of force. Assad’s forces may be out of the control. But – in all, Syria is out of control, and some path forward needs to emerge. Chemical warfare, at its first appearance, should make the world focus a longer period of time then the UN mission to transfer the weapons.

Today, Stratfor reports: “Four people were killed in the attack, including a woman and two children, and dozens of others were wounded, medics and rescue workers said. Conditions have been sharply eroding in Aleppo city, where government forces and their allies have been fighting fierce battles with a confederation of rebel groups. As with other parts of Syria, civilians trapped in the divided city are being killed by indiscriminate strikes by both sides.”

To the average American this should be unconscionable. Many made their social profile pictures a French flag after one of the tragedies that occurred within that nation. Meanwhile, Syria remains a hell on earth where far more die, in far worse ways. Extremists have committed genocide in Syria and Iraq. Now, the Assad regime has committed the same crimes that first sparked outrage. They’re using gas to kill people indiscriminately. The Assad regime has slowly and assuredly escalated force throughout the war, desensitizing the public and finding out what tactics are limited. They’ve reached a point where they’re able to drop barrel bombs, which are flying IEDs. They bombard villages with indirect fire and destroy sacred monasteries, pure destruction. Many are caught in the middle and are being slaughtered.

Business Insider reported earlier this year that the Assad regime continues to use gas attacks. But the Assad regime makes it incredibly difficult to legally link the regime to the attacks themselves. We as an international community, are constrained by our bureaucracy. Even when we collectively agree. At what point do we as a people decide enough is enough? This violence and war zone is spreading and infecting the surrounding areas. It doesn’t look like Syria’s neighbors, and our coalition has the will to address the situation. It has become so chaotic that there is no easy or clean solution to this problem. However, this is bad news that will not improve with time.

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