<blockquote>'If Barack Obama decides to attack the Syrian regime, he has ensured – for the very first time in history – that the United States will be on the same side as al-Qa’ida.'
- Robert Fisk (
Source, August 27, 2013)</blockquote>
<blockquote>'Ban did not blame any party for the alleged attack on a Damascus suburb, saying that "If confirmed, any use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances will be a serious violation of international law and an outrageous war crime."
"Whatever the source, this latest allegation should be as wakeup call for the international community," Ban said.
He stressed that an ongoing investigation by U.N. chemical weapons experts "is uniquely placed to independently establish the facts in an objective and impartial manner." '
-
Ban: Any Syria Strike Must Get Security Council OK, September 3, 2013</blockquote>
Context<blockquote>
'..a broad naivete in the political class about America’s obligations in foreign policy issues..'</blockquote>
<blockquote>