U.S. Pushes Back Against Reports Russia Knew of Syrian Chemical Attack

A Syrian man carries a man on his back who suffered from a chemical attack in the northern Idlib province in Syria on April 4, 2017. (Qasioun News Agency, via AP)

The U.S. government pushed back Monday against reports of a clear connection between Moscow and the Syrian military's chemical attack last week that killed scores of civilians, including children.

The Associated Press reported that Russia knew in advance of Syria's April 4 chemical weapons attack in the city of Idlib, citing an unnamed U.S. official. The claim represents a serious accusation tying Russia to an internationally recognized war crime that prompted the U.S. to launch Tomahawk missiles on the Syrian base that officials say launched the strike. It also complicates opportunities for Moscow to cooperate with the U.S. on peace talks ahead of hosting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later this week.

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A U.S. official familiar with the investigation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed to U.S. News no final determination has been made regarding Russian foreknowledge of the chemical attack in Idlib.

Concerns over Russia's complicity in the Syrian chemical weapons strike stems from a Pentagon assertion that it tracked a drone above a hospital in Syria that was treating victims of the attack shortly after it took place. A drone reappeared over the hospital hours later and immediately before an airstrike on the hospital.

The defense officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity on Friday to discuss the circumstances leading to the U.S. missile attack on the Syrian base, told reporters that they would not draw a direct line to Russia. But they observed that a government wishing to cover up a chemical weapons attack would likely also target the survivors, whose condition could be used for evidence and that the Syrian regime does not possess advanced drone technology.

U.S. Central Command spokesman Army Col. John Thomas told reporters Monday the Defense Department had turned the information over to the intelligence community – without citing any particular one of the 17 agencies – for further investigation.

[READ: Tensions High as Tillerson Heads to Moscow Amid Uncertainty Over Cooperation]

Intelligence agencies that would analyze these incidents, such as the CIA, would rarely release their findings. Rather the resulting information would likely come out in a more common public forum, like a State Department briefing or a senior intelligence or military official's testimony before Congress.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a statement Monday that "the Syrian government would be ill-advised ever again to use chemical weapons." The U.S. strike involving 59 Tomahawk missiles successfully destroyed 20 percent of the Syrian military's operational attack aircraft, Mattis said.