UN accepts Syria invitation to investigate use of chemical weapons

The United Nations accepted an invitation by the Syrian government for two senior UN officials to discuss allegations of using chemical weapons. On July 8, Syrian Ambassador to the UN Bashar Ja’afari said Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom and UN High Representative for Disarmament Angela Kane were invited to visit Syria over the issue of chemical weapons, press tv reported. Martin Nesirky, spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, confirmed the invitation on Wednesday. Nesirky said that the two had accepted the invitation "with a view to completing the consultations on the modalities of cooperation required for the proper, safe and efficient conduct of the UN mission to investigate allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria". On July 10, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that evidence shows that foreign-backed Takfiri militants in Syria have used chemical weapons containing shell and sarin. "According to our additional information, these shells and the substance were made last February in the Syrian territory which at that time was under the control of the Free Syrian Army and made by one of the affiliated armed groups," Lavrov stated. The remarks by the Russian foreign minister came a day after Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said that firsthand evidence suggests that the militants, not the Syrian government, had manufactured sarin nerve gas and used it during an attack near the Northwestern city of Aleppo in March. The UK, France, and the United States claim the Syrian government has used chemical weapons. However, Syria says the militants have used chemical weapons on several occasions, including an attack in the region of Khan al-Assal in Aleppo Province on March 19, where over two dozen people died. Foreign-sponsored militancy has taken its toll on the lives of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, since March 2011.