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George Ourfalian / Reuters
Residents and medics transport an injured Syrian army soldier after an alleged chemical weapon attack near Aleppo Tuesday.
UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday announced that the United Nations will launch an investigation as requested by the Syrian government into allegations that chemical weapons were used in Syria.
"I have decided to conduct a United Nations investigation into the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria," Ban told reporters.
The Syrian government and rebels are accusing each other of launching a deadly chemical attack. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
He said the investigation will focus on "the specific incident brought to my attention by the Syrian government."
Syria asked Ban on Wednesday to investigate an alleged chemical weapons attack by "terrorist groups" near the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday, Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said.
The Syrian opposition said on Wednesday that there was a second chemical weapons attack on Tuesday in Damascus in addition to the one the government and opposition accuse each other of carrying out in Aleppo on the same day.
But Ban made clear that the focus of the investigation he announced would be the Aleppo attack.
Spokesman Jay Carney addresses reports that chemical weapons may have been used in Syria as civil war continues under the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
"I am of course aware that there are other allegations of similar cases involving the reported use of chemical weapons," he said, adding that the United Nations would be cooperating with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the World Health Organization.
"Full cooperation from all parties will be essential. I stress that this includes unfettered access," he said. "I reiterated this point in my communications with the Syrian authorities."
"There is much work to do and this will not happen overnight. It is obviously a difficult mission," Ban said. "I intend for this investigation to start as soon as is practically possible."
Related:
'Suffocating in the streets': Chemical weapons attack reported in Syria
US defense chief: Intel 'raises serious concerns' about Syria chemical weapons
Syria chaos looms large over Obama's Israel trip
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I assume that these attacks were a game of President Assad’s to control, set-up and pushback any military action by the United States, while attempting to force the opposition to subdue.
I do not believe that either Syrian ‘regular’ forces or the opposition carried out these two attacks. I believe that these were, probably, half-fake, half-covered-up and half-non-proven chemical attacks carried out by personal military thugs of President Assad for several reasons. Assad knows his regular forces know they did not do the attacks and would fight hard against the U.S. for his power if we attacked Syria for that reason. In the meanwhile, he sets the United States up in possibly attacking for questionable chemical attacks, making the U.S. look like we did with the Iraq war regarding nuclear weapons, and makes the United States holdback on ‘any’ military attack by thinking twice about it. Assad may think the opposition will hate the U.S. for ‘not’ attacking for these questionable-chemical attacks, and that the opposition may give up their own fight, as though they might think there is no use in their fight, while his very sustained power terrorizes them that the half-fake chemical attacks could happen again.
Realize that the missiles, themselves, may have killed the people in the attacks, not whatever chemical concoction was going on. However, I, myself, would define any attack that permanently damaged anyone’s lungs as a chemical-attack, no matter what Assad’s game is.
He is a leader who set up his own forces for a chemical-attack they did not do.
a white house spokesman has just stated that the chemicals used were not the banned ones !
I thought ALL chemical weapons use was illegal.. why the splitting hairs, obama stated it was a "red line" that Syria better not cross and now that they have the WH is backtracking and making excuses not to take action !
This weakness is what started the whole 9/11 in the first place, Bin laden communicated the reason he decided to attack was after we cut and run in Somalia "that we had no heart in staying the course"
Hopefully, at some point, these nut cases in the Middle-East will completely exterminate themselves.
Well, I do not know whom you mean by ‘these’ nut cases, but I would certainly call a leader who sets his own military forces up with the United States for conducting two half-fake chemical attacks as a nut case. (I heard an earlier report, darn it, I cannot remember where from, that in one of the two attacks, Syrian military had been killed, but I do not know if that information had been confirmed and I cannot find out since I cannot remember where I heard it.) That would be something, if Assad killed some of his own military officers to set his own military up, or as a way to make it look like the opposition did it at the same time. See? It is like a game.
Well game or not, all I know is the entire Middle-East is a waste. If they kill each other off, and every country there seems to be doing just that, it would only be good for the world. The Sunnis hate the Shiites and vice versus, they can't even get along within their own religion. No loss for sure if they are gone from the planet.
U.N. investigating? Now that's a joke!
The United Nations has access to collaborative international information that other countries do not have with each other. Well worth all nations investements.
No, your comment is a joke...and not a particularly clever one. The UN has actually done a fairly good job of weapons inspections and investigations in the past. The were responsible for the supervision and monitoring of the destruction of Iraqi WMD and medium range missile demolition. That is, until GW started claiming that Iraq wasn't allowing weapons inspectors into the country...which is where they were. Then warned them to leave just prior to the invasion.
" collaborative international information that other countries do not have with each other."
Hilariously self-negating.
Ol-Doc, I like the idea that the United Nations is going to work with the World Health Organization to find out about the people still hospitalized with breathing problems. I think the world could definitely find answers there about the attacks.
Does seem like a good place to find eye witnesses.
Unless you believe in Conspiracies, then you'll believe that they were sent in to say there were no weapons used so the U.S. won't have to use it's forces as promised by the President, that way he won't look weak. Only one conspiracy I believe in Kennedy. I'll believe what they say, until proved otherwise.
Dismantle the UN.. It is a corrupt USELESS org... that needs to just go away. Paid for with your borrowed chinese DOLLARS. Thank you again ..very much
UN - Univerally Neutered
Do you want thanks or just attention for lowering the intelligence level of the conversation to speaking against the U.N. instead of chemical attacks?
The UN is comprised of 193 member-states. We are 1/193, yet we finance 22% of the regular
annual budget and 27% of the peacekeeping budget. During fiscal 2009 that figure was $6.374 Billion – up 1 Billion over 2008. [betterworldcampaign.org & Wikipedia]. NOTE that all sources reviewed indicated that it is “very difficult” to track actual spending on the UN.)
I see the United Nations as necessary for any, and all, international investigations so that countries with an interest, or countries allies with an interest, cannot influence investigations.
Any international investigations, activities or initiatives would need a central place managing activities, just like any business or groups of businesses need. I guess I see the U.N. as sort of the next step up in Democratic government. (Perhaps the fact that some people find the U.N. not so powerful might be a good thing in that it reflects that individual countries really are the ones who have the most control.)
you beat a lot of people to that statement.
I think the United Nations serves as a communications center for countries, for our leaders, diplomats and intelligence agencies who do not always catch it all, or know it all. Let's give the U.N. a chance.
So that's where Saddam stashed everything from the inspectors etc.
I just do not want to get into a war over questionable chemical attakcs with Syria like we got into trouble with Iraq over WMD.
I've heard Saddam hid his WMD on the far side of the moon, next to Dick Cheney's undisclosed location.
ya that went well.....lol....he did have something though....it wasn't really spoken much...remember Regan. He sold Saddam a couple of nerve gas recipes...shhhhh...that was for Iran....he used them on the Kurds.... we did not like that he wasn't using weapon teck where we wanted him too....still think if sadam was still there Iran may not be such an issue today.
I think the United States needs to encourage Syrias own military to do its own investigation to find out if their own military was internationally set up by Assad for doing these attacks when they did not. (I think Assad might fall rather quickly if that was proven.)
What is the Six Degrees of Separation from the current Ayatollah and NAZI Germany?
Those who do not rembember the past are condemmed to repeat it.
All she wants to do is dance in the land of confusion.
Think about it.
I remember when this crap in Syria started. The Arab League was all up in arms. What happened to them? They closed for the Winter and only open in the "Spring"? It's in their backyard....let them handle it. Unless the Arab League is a golf or bowling league and I am out of line here.
Some rebel throws a tear gas grenade and everyone cries WMD.....WMD!!!! Asaad is Gasing US!!!!!!
I don't know what or who to believe in this part of the world. Either side will us the west military as a tool for there own twisted needs.....i think in this place let the Arabs deal with them selves. If the west gets involved it will only be used against the west. it is a loose loose either way. let them kill each other....this they are very good at.