Putin says Assad not behind attack

Russian leader cites ‘provocation’

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted Friday that the Syrian leader didn’t use chemical weapons against his people, saying the recent attack that killed scores of civilians was a “provocation” against President Bashar Assad.

Speaking at an economic forum in St. Petersburg on Friday, Putin made one of his strongest rejections of blaming Assad’s forces for the chemical attack in April.

The attack in northern Syria killed at least 90, including many children.

“We are absolutely convinced that it was a provocation. Assad didn’t use the weapons,” Putin said. “It was done by people who wanted to blame him for that.”

He added that Russian intelligence had information that a “similar scenario” was to be implemented elsewhere in Syria, including near Damascus.

“Thank God, they were smart enough not to do that after we released information about it,” he said.

The attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun caused an international uproar as images of the aftermath, including quivering children dying on camera, were widely broadcast.

Russia, one of Assad’s closest allies, and the Syrian government have repeatedly denied using chemical weapons.

Following an equally fatal chemical attack in 2013, Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons under a deal brokered by Russia and the United States and declared a 1,300ton chemical arsenal when it joined the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

That stockpile has been destroyed, but the organization continues to question whether Damascus declared everything in its chemical weapon program.