The April 13 American, British, and French attack on Syria was just the latest disastrous action taken by Western powers in the country.

Western states and anti-government groups accuse the Syrian government of carrying out a chemical weapons attack in Douma, East Ghouta, a Damascus suburb, on April 8. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that an estimated 500 patients showed “signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals” and that “70 people sheltering in basements have reportedly died, with 43 of those deaths related to symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals.” The WHO does not say who it believes is to blame for these deaths. The Syrian government and its allies have denied responsibility and US Defense Secretary James Mattis testified that America and its partners “don’t have evidence” of its culpability.

Here’s what we do know: The US admits it has between 2,000 and 4,000 American troops in Syria. Between late 2016 and May 2017, the US bombed pro-government forces at least three times. The US’s support for armed groups in Syria has gone far beyond its backing of Kurdish groups as America and its conservative allies in the Middle East have supported groups fighting the Syrian government, including reactionary religious fundamentalists guilty of sectarian violence.