Sana/Reuters
The Obama administration is confident Assad at least delegated military authority for the chemical-weapons attack that killed over a thousand in August, but anonymous officials tell the Washington Times that they cannot prove he ordered the attack or knew about it in advance. Intelligence has raised questions about whether Assad is fully in control of Syria’s army and weapons arsenal. Though President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, and other officials have asserted there is "no doubt" Assad was behind the attack, they have been careful to refer to "Assad's regime" or the "Syrian regime" to avoid stating it outright. Outside the administration, analysts with senior-level intelligence clearance say there is real doubt that Assad has command of his chemical weapons.