UN chief opposes military aid to Syrian rebels

GENEVA

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon opposed sending weapons to Syria rebels fighting to topple the country's president, saying that increasing the flow of arms to either side would not be "helpful."

In a press conference, Ban said the more than two-year conflict in Syria needed a political solution instead of a military one, expressing hope over a planned international peace conference in Geneva. The peace conference was initially scheduled for June but joint Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has announced that the meeting could be postponed till July. 

Ban said a trilateral meeting between UN, US and Russia was set for June 25 ahead of the planned Geneva conference. 

On US claims over use of chemical weapons by regime forces in Syria, Ban said "the validity of any information on the alleged use of chemical weapons cannot be ensured without convincing evidence of the chain-of-custody."

He emphasized the need for an independent investigation on the ground in Syria to find out whether chemical weapons were used, reiterating a call to Syria to allow UN investigation teams to enter the country.

"The use of chemical weapons by any party would be a crime against humanity," Ban said.

Ban confirmed he received the letter from the United States about the use of chemical weapons in Syria, said, "I do not want to comment further on this. The member states decide themselves on what information to share with public."  

Ban also said the open engagement of Hezbollah in Syria was "very worrisome".

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