![\"Putin](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.towleroad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/putin_tillerson.jpeg?resize=600%2C318\")
<\/p>\nAs Tillerson Heads to Russia, Putin Claims U.S. Planning Chemical Weapon Attack on Damascus to Frame Assad<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As Secretary of State Rex Tillerson heads to Russia, Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the U.S. is planning chemical weapons attacks in Damascus in an attempt to frame Bashar al Assad<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Putin remarks follow an ultimatum issued by Tillerson that Russia must choose between Assad and the U.S., the AP reports<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot let this happen again,\u201d the secretary of state said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to relieve the suffering of the Syrian people. Russia can be a part of that future and play an important role,\u201d Tillerson added in remarks to reporters. \u201cOr Russia can maintain its alliance with this group, which we believe is not going to serve Russia\u2019s interests longer term.\u201d<\/p>\n Since the U.S. launched airstrikes against Assad\u2019s forces in retaliation for a chemical attack on civilians last week, Trump administration officials have offered mixed messages about whether Washington believes Assad definitely must surrender power and when. Tillerson said it was clear the U.S. saw no role for Assad in Syria\u2019s future, given that he had lost legitimacy.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is clear to all of us that the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the question of how that ends and the transition itself could be very important in our view to the durability, the stability inside of a unified Syria.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why we are not presupposing how that occurs,\u201d Tillerson added.<\/p>\n Watch a report from CBS This Morning:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The post As Tillerson Heads to Russia, Putin Claims U.S. Planning Chemical Weapon Attack on Damascus to Frame Assad<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n