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Article snippet: WASHINGTON — President Trump’s national security officials declared on Wednesday that a White House warning this week to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria had succeeded in stopping a chemical weapons attack by the Syrian government. “They didn’t do it,” Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters as he traveled to Belgium. In an unusual written statement on Monday night, White House officials said the United States had “identified potential preparations” by the Assad government to use chemical weapons in an attack similar to one that was launched in April from an airfield in western Syria. The statement, issued by Mr. Trump’s spokesman, threatened to make Mr. Assad “pay a heavy price” if he used them. By Wednesday morning, Mr. Mattis said it appeared that Mr. Assad “took the warning seriously.” He declined to say whether preparations that were noted in Mr. Trump’s statement had ended. But he repeatedly noted the lack of a chemical weapons attack in the two days since the White House issued its warning. “They didn’t do it,” he repeated twice more. Nikki R. Haley, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, echoed Mr. Mattis, telling lawmakers during a hearing that Mr. Trump’s warning had worked. “I think that by the president calling out Assad, I think by us continuing to remind Iran and Russia that while they choose to back Assad, that this was something we were not going to put up with,” she said. “I would like to think that the president saved many inn... Link to the full article to read more