Russia offers set of 'false facts' on Syria chemical attacks - senior U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior State Department official firmly rejected Russia's claim on Wednesday that a deadly chemical attack in Syria was caused by a Syrian air strike on an opposition arms depot. "Russia offers a set of false facts that only it and the Assad regime support," the official said in a statement. "Russia's persistence on this path of obfuscation is as if the rest of the civilized world does not have eyes, ears, or the ability to reach obvious conclusions," the official added. The U.S. has not yet ascertained whether the chemical used in the attack was sarin nerve gas, the official added. ‎ (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Chris Reese)