It was unclear if Mr. Assad had promised a concrete visit or had merely suggested it as a possibility out of diplomatic politeness. Analysts questioned whether the report represented the true intentions of Mr. Assad, given that it gave no date or details. “I am struggling to figure it out and trying to put aside my Western bias and look at from Kim Jong-un’s perspective,” Mr. Maxwell said. North Korean technicians had also been seen working at chemical weapons and missile facilities in Syria. Mr. Trump has twice ordered airstrikes against Syria to punish Mr. Assad for suspected chemical attacks on civilians, saying the Syrian president had committed “crimes of a monster.”

Source: New York Times June 03, 2018 13:09 UTC