Why MoA or Hersh or Giraldi are to be believed on an empirical question over inspectors on the ground is hard to see. Did the UN have an ax to grind?

The master-link connecting  the American public to the stories of everyone within the spectrum ranging from truth-tellers to those pandering to idolatery of ideology is the work of journalists and which is often filtered by their editors. I assume it to be a fact that everyone gives more credibility to some sources of information than to others. The absolute 'truth' regarding who released that gas in Syria is still unknowable except for a few and for average Americans it is impossible to know who to believe with anything near an absolute level of confidence. We can only try to make a reasoned judgment and doing that allows the possibility of being mistaken. One thing bearing on that judgment, though, should be the absolutely incontrovertible truth that every U.S. government in our lifetime has blatantly lied to its citizens many times about its choreography of events meant to play out on the world stage, or about its direction of the actions of others from backstage. Or about the real nature of events carried out by others. Obama's administration is no exception.

I believe that even the President of the United States must often wonder who in the concentric circles of his own investigators and advisors to believe as he makes decisions on life and death from within a bubble. I hope he looks at the information provided to him with some skepticism. If not, I suggest he consider Santayana's oft quoted line. Of course it is possible that he gives as little thought mixed with as little feeling for the particular humans who provide the pink mist of our interventions as did the previous administration and as also did a very large percentage of the American electorate.

In any event, taking away or reducing the chemical stockpiles of a regime everyone (I think) agrees is bad with no bombing and no invasion isn't a bad outcome.

I agree that it is a good thing but it happened through serendipitous happenstance which interrupted the apparent intentions of our government to begin bombing yet again another country. If that intention was in the process of being justified with lies and/or distortions and/or disregard for conflicting evidence then I support the idea that everyone becomes aware of it. History aint over 'till it's over and that aint yet.  

 Thanks for approaching the story with an open mind.