The five-day delay in allowing UN chemical-weapons experts to verify the attack gave Assad’s government ample time to conceal incriminating evidence, allow it to degrade, or destroy it with further shelling. The United States, France, and the United Kingdom are adamant that all the intelligence and eyewitness evidence points to the Assad government as the perpetrator of the attack.
当然，在叛军控制的大马士革东区爆发骇人听闻的化学武器攻击后，攻讦和反诘便呈现出不可开交之势。但是，考虑到总统巴沙尔·阿萨德政权的残暴，没人怀疑它会接近所能隐瞒其罪行。阻挠联合国化学武器专家进入核实攻击五天之久足以让巴沙尔政府隐瞒犯罪证据、让证据降解或用后续炮轰毁灭证据。美国、法国和英国坚定认为情报和目击证据都表明巴沙尔政府是袭击的发动者。