White House accuses Russia of cover-up in syria chemical attack

WASHINGTON — The White House accused the Russian government on Tuesday of engaging in a cover-up of the chemical weapons attack last week by Syrian forces that prompted U.S. missile strikes, saying U.S. intelligence and numerous contemporaneous reports confirmed the Syrians used sarin gas on their own people.

In a declassified fourpage report that details U.S. intelligence on the chemical weapons attack and contains a point-by-point rebuttal of Moscow’s claims, the White House asserted the Syrian and Russian governments had sought to confuse the world community about the assault through disinformation and “false narratives.”

The strongly worded document calls for international condemnation of Syria’s use of chemical weapons and harshly criticizes Russia for “shielding” an ally that has used weapons of mass destruction.

It marks a striking shift by President Donald Trump, who entered office praising President Vladimir Putin of Russia and seeking common ground with him — and now appears to be moving swiftly to isolate him. The charges came as Rex W. Tillerson, the secretary of state, was preparing for meetings in Moscow today, and as Congress and the FBI are investigating potential ties between Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia.

“Russia is in an island on this,” Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, said. He said there was little dispute about Syria’s responsibility for the attack — except by Moscow and the “failed states” of North Korea and Iran.

“This is not exactly a happy-time cocktail party of people you want to be associated with,” he said.

Senior White House officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the government’s view, said Russia’s goal was to cover up the Syrian government’s culpability for the chemical attack. They asserted that the Syrian government, under pressure from opposition forces in the strategically vital Hama province and lacking sufficient troops to respond, used the lethal nerve agent sarin to retaliate against rebels who were threatening government-held territory.

Neither Spicer nor any of the officials who detailed the U.S. government’s chronology of the chemical attack would comment on the possibility the Russian government had known in advance of Syria’s plan to carry it out, or to launch a subsequent assault on a hospital treating victims.

But one official said that, given the history of close cooperation between the Syrian and Russian militaries, and that Russian forces were stationed at Al Shayrat airfield, which was used to launch the chemical attack, Moscow must answer.

“Moscow’s response to the April 4 attack follows a familiar pattern of its responses to other egregious actions,” the report said. “It spins out multiple, conflicting accounts in order to create confusion and sow doubt within the international community.”