Trump blamed Obama for Syria's chemical gas attack. The nightly news has some helpful context.

Scott Pelley talks about new Syrian chemical weapon attack
(Image credit: Twitter/CBSEveningNews)

The United Nations Security Council has scheduled a Wednesday morning emergency session to discuss what appears to be a Syrian government nerve gas attack on a rebel-held area of Idlib province, which killed at least 58 people, including 11 children, and wounded hundreds more. France and Britain called the meeting, as international condemnation grows. Chemical weapons use is banned under the Geneva Conventions, and using such weapons on civilians would be a clear war crime.

President Trump on Tuesday condemned the chemical attack, saying in a statement that it was "reprehensible and cannot be ignored by the civilized world." But he also blamed former President Barack Obama, saying the "heinous actions by the Bashar al-Assad regime are a consequence of the past administration's weakness and irresolution," citing Obama's 2012 "red line" comment and failure to attack Syria in August 2013 when Assad used chemical weapons on his people. (Lacking the votes in Congress to strike and unwilling to do so without congressional approval, Obama agreed to a Russian plan to destroy Assad's chemical weapons stock.)

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.