Why Would Assad Want to Use Chemical Weapons?

With Western leaders weighing whether to intervene in the Syrian war with a Libya-style bombing campaign or by arming the Syrian rebels with heavy weaponry, it would seem logical that President Bashar Assad would try to avoid provoking the West into agreeing on a coordinated assault against his forces. But if there’s one thing more likely than any other to push the West into more direct military action it’s the use of chemical weapons.