Ok, Tulsi Gabbard; help me understand

[still_one]

35. I can tell you exactly what it is. Tulsi Gabbard gave a CNN interview where she said

"she was skeptical that Assad used chemical weapons against his own people"

She based that skepticism because the WMDs in Iraq were a lie.

Ironically, that is the same argument some people use to justify that when the CIA or FBI indicates that based on information they have, they are investigating Russian interference in our election, we should not believe them because of what happened in Iraq.

By the same token, without knowledge that Assad was or was not involved in the latest chemical attack, she makes a statement that she is skeptical that he was involved. That is based on what? The past actions of the Syrian government toward its citizens?

In 2013 chemical weapons were used in Ghouta, Syria, by the Syrian government

"Our investigation finds that the August 21 attacks were likely chemical weapons attacks using a surface-to-surface rocket system of approximately 330mm in diameter—likely Syrian-produced—and a Soviet-era 140mm surface-to-surface rocket system to deliver a nerve agent. Evidence suggests the agent was most likely Sarin or a similar weapons-grade nerve agent. Three local doctors told Human Rights Watch that victims of the attacks showed symptoms which are consistent with exposure to nerve gas, including suffocation; constricted, irregular, and infrequent breathing; involuntary muscle spasms; nausea; frothing at the mouth; fluid coming out of noses and eyes; convulsing; dizziness; blurred vision; and red and irritated eyes, and pin-point pupils.

The evidence concerning the type of rockets and launchers used in these attacks strongly suggests that these are weapon systems known and documented to be only in the possession of, and used by, Syrian government armed forces. Human Rights Watch and arms experts monitoring the use of weaponry in Syria have not documented Syrian opposition forces to be in the possession of the 140mm and 330mm rockets used in the attack, or their associated launchers."

https://www.hrw.org/report/2013/09/10/attacks-ghouta/analysis-alleged-use-chemical-weapons-syria

In Aleppo, Chlorine gas was used:

https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/02/13/syria-coordinated-chemical-attacks-aleppo

There is no shortage of the Syrian government killing tens of thousands of its citizens. Hama, Syria is one such example in 1982. Estimates of up to 40000 Syrians were killed in Hama.

Does that mean Syria was involved in the latest gas attack? No, but looking at the past actions of the Syrian government against its own population for decades, being skeptical is a strange word to use about the Syrian government against its own people.
The logic Gabbard is using is that because we were lied to about WMDs in Iraq, that means we should be skeptical about this story? No, she should say she doesn't know. Independent International agencies are investigating this latest incident.

Here is a brief history of massacres in Syria for the skeptics among us:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_massacres_in_Syria