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Tuesday, Apr 9, 2013 11:56 AM UTC

Syrian government resists chemical weapons probe

U.N. has asked for full cooperation with chemical weapons investigation after accusations from rebels and regime

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Topics: Syria, Chemical weapons, U.N., Civil War, Bashar al-Assad, Aleppo, Middle East,

Syrian government resists chemical weapons probeBashar al-Assad(Credit: AP)

Both Syrian rebels and the government have accused each other of using chemical weapons, prompting international ire — the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime has long been a purported “red line” for U.S. intervention in the civil war. However, as the Guardian reports Tuesday, the Syrian government is resisting full cooperation with a United Nations probe into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Aleppo:

The Syrian government claims that the UN has attempted to widen the remit of its mission, which it says was originally intended to investigate an alleged chemical weapons attack in Khan al-Assal in Aleppo last month. It says the UN now wants “additional investigations which might allow the UN mission to spread all over the Syrian territories, and this contradicts the Syrian request from the UN and indicates to the presence of hidden intentions at the states which have sought to add those investigations as this constitutes a violation of the Syrian sovereignty”.

Syrian state media reported that the government would not allow such “manoeuvres” but would still allow the mission to visit Khan al-Assal in keeping with its original intention

Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com. More Natasha Lennard.

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