It's the narcissism, baby.
When the "sources" advocate for blowing people up, listen to what they say:
One U.S. official who has been briefed on the options on Syria said he believed the White House would seek a level of intensity "just muscular enough not to get mocked" but not so devastating that it would prompt a response from Syrian allies Iran and Russia.
"They are looking at what is just enough to mean something, just enough to be more than symbolic," he said.
Seriously. In all the discussion, there is no suggestion that there is a plan, or really a reason, beyond, "Credibility on the world stage," or, "Saving face," or whatever the hell you want to call it.
Washington culture seems to be a petri dish for cultivating narcissistic sociopaths (see, Senate, U.S. and Cohen, Richard, Columnist), but this is a step beyond the standard moral perversions that seem to occupy the villagers.
What is being argued here is truly horrible: Making war for purposes that are the moral equivalent of donning makeup to cover a zit.