"I suggested that we might contemplate doing something mean to Syria.

Oh, no, the CIA representative objected, we have no evidence to suggest that the Syrian government had anything to do with this.

I couldn’t believe it. You’re saying, then, that if a naked man walks up a hill into a house, and then comes out of the house with guns and grenades, and then kills people, the occupants of the house have no responsibility?

Exactly right.

...

Both times, we had the Syrians dead to rights. Both times, it was obvious that Syria was actively involved in the murder of innocents. And both times, people who should have known better insisted on denying the evidence.

Marx put it best. First it’s tragedy, then it’s farce."