The international laws that are not being enforced in regard to Iran and Syria also are not being applied to al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. Only Western nations, it seems, must mind the rules. Among the international chattering classes, detentions of al-Qaeda terrorists at Guantanamo, drone strikes targeting AQ commanders, and Israel’s anti-terrorism security barriers excite far more controversy and outrage than does, for example, the slaughter of Christians by Boko Haram, AQ’s affiliate in Nigeria. In Washington, the Newseum considered honoring “journalists” belonging to Hamas, a U.S.-government-designated terrorist organization. The major media yawned in response.

In remarks last week, Secretary of State John Kerry did a creditable job of explaining the seriousness of Assad’s transgressions. “Some cite the risk of doing things,” he said. “We need to ask what is the risk of doing nothing.”

Deciding precisely what to do is hard work. A few ideas to build on: (1) At the end of the exercise, Assad should conclude that using chemical weapons against civilians was a mistake, one he would not repeat. Other dictators should see it similarly. (2) To achieve that, serious consideration should be given to destroying Assad’s air power. Planes, helicopters, and major airfields are difficult to hide. So are port facilities. (3) Kerry correctly said that Iranian forces in Syria are “contributing significantly to this violence.” Hitting those forces would send a clear message.