UNITED NATIONS
Reporting by Mustafa Keles
Disagreement continued between the United Nations (UN) and Syria on investigation concerning the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Speaking at a press conference regarding the allegations on use of chemcial weapons in Syria, Syria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Bashar al-Jafari said that they asked the UN to firstly investigate the allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Han al-Assal region of Aleppo.
Use of chemical weapons in Syria or elsewhere can not be tolerated, al-Jafari noted.
"Allegations on the use of chemical weapons must be investigated in al-Assal. We will then decide on other allegations," al-Jafari underlined.
"We have a problem of confidence with countries who have brought up the allegations on the use of chemical weapons. These countries used weapons of mass destruction in the past and they did not pay a price yet," al-Jafari stressed.
"There is no lesson we can learn from such countries. Syria will never fall into a trap," al-Jafari also said.
Partial investigation unacceptable
On the other hand, speaking at a press briefing, the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, Martin Nesirky said on Tuesday that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in March established a delegation to study the allegations on the use of chemical weapons in Syria but that they could not reach an agreement with Syria on the investigation.
"We have received a letter from the Syrian government on Monday. Syria only permits an investigation in al-Assal," Nesirky noted.
"Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also wishes for the investigation on allegations of use of chemical weapons in Homs. At the present time, there are allegations made by the Syrian government, Britain and France on the use of chemical weapons. Ban Ki-moon considers these allegations serious. The Secretary General will not accept a partial investigation," Nesirky also said.
