Phone calls between capitals and frosty diplomatic meetings have been coming apace this past week or so as well as a slew of Russian propaganda. One month later, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces are suspected of using chemical weapons to kill dozens of Syrian civilians in a Damascus suburb. In the past week, Moscow has hosted foreign ministers from Turkey and Saudi Arabia -- both backers, in one shape or another, of Syria's anti-Assad opposition. That was the rationale he gave for what is clearly coming: "This hotbed (Idlib) must be eliminated." But bottom line: An abundance of other stuff going on is clouding the view on a deadly storm in Syria about to be unleashed on its civilians.

Source: CNN August 30, 2018 14:45 UTC