Bashar Assad is not a stupid man. Neither are his advisors or...

Bashar Assad is not a stupid man. Neither are his advisors or military chiefs. They know that the western world would be looking for any reason to be able to increase their military presence to help the rebels.
So I ask the question, why would such an intelligent man do a single chemical attack knowing full well he would face international condemnation and give the West basically the only basis to be able to lead attack against his government?
What he has aparently done is the equivalent to military suicide. He may as well of attacked the US directly...