The New York Times, as a trusted asset of Operation Mockingbird, is cheerleading the latest effort to contrive a pretext to go in and finish the job. On March 5, it ran with an article claiming—once again, without solid evidence—that al-Assad has engaged in yet another chlorine gas attack.

"President Trump requested options for punishing the Assad government after reported chlorine gas attacks—at least seven this year—and possibly other chemicals affecting civilians in opposition-controlled areas," writes a team of four Times journos, that is to say Pentagon stenographers.

Trump met with his tripartite generals—Chief of Staff, John Kelly, national security adviser H.R. McMaster, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis—to talk over "potential actions."