Tillerson Warns Russia on Syria, Saying Assad Era Is ‘Coming to an End’ -
By GARDINER HARRISAPRIL 11, 2017
LUCCA, Italy — Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson said on Tuesday
that President Bashar al-Assad’s reign in Syria was “coming to an end,” and he warned that Russia was at risk of becoming irrelevant in the Middle East by continuing to support him.
Mr. Putin, at an appearance with President Sergio Mattarella of Italy, said on Tuesday
that the chemical attack was “worth investigating thoroughly,” and he said Russia would formally ask the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for an inquiry.
Mr. Alfano said that any effort to isolate Russia “would be wrong,” adding
that the dominant position at the Group of 7 industrialized nations “was dialogue with Russia, not pushing Russia into a corner.”
The Italian government has long been uneasy about punishing Russia, which faces sanctions for its actions in eastern Ukraine,
because many Italian companies have significant business interests there.
He likened the accusations against the Assad government — made by Britain, France and other allies, along with the Trump administration — to the flawed intelligence
that President George W. Bush’s administration cited in 2003 to justify the invasion of Iraq.