A senior United Nations team tasked with investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria's civil war arrived in Damascus Wednesday to discuss with government officials a possible inquiry into such attacks. This is the first such trip by international experts and the talks are expected to be thorny -- focusing on about a dozen incidents in which chemical arms were allegedly used. The rebels, the U.S. and others have accused the regime of using the weapons of mass destruction, while Damascus and its ally Russia have blamed the rebels for such attacks.The team has been invited by the Syrian government to discuss the terms of a possible probe.
Damascus has requested the U.N. investigate only one of the reported attacks -- a March 19 incident in the northern village of Khan al-Assal in which both rebels and the government accuse each other of using chemicals weapons -- but refused inquiries into other alleged attack sites in the central city of Homs, Damascus and elsewhere.
The U.S. and U.N. officials have called on Assad's regime to grant the United Nations team unfettered access to investigate all allegations of possible chemical weapon use.
Swedish chemical weapons expert Ake Sellstrom and U.N. disarmament chief Angela Kane arrived from neighboring Lebanon for a two day visit, during which they are to meet with senior Syrian officials, the U.N. said in a brief statement issued in the Syrian capital.
The Assad regime is said to have one of the world's largest stockpiles of chemical weapons, including the mustard gas and the nerve agent sarin.
Khan al-Assal, which lies on the southwestern edge of the embattled city of Aleppo, was under government control in March but was captured by the rebels earlier this week. Even if the U.N. team is granted access to Khan al-Assal from both sides, it may be difficult to find evidence from the attack because so much time has passed.