Ban: UN Chemical Weapons Team to Leave Syria by Saturday Morning
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - United Nations inspectors will continue their investigations until Friday and plan to leave Syria by Saturday morning, the UN chief said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, speaking in Vienna, said the team - which arrived in Syria on August 18 - would report to him as soon as they "come out of" the country and that he had therefore cut short a trip to Austria. He had been due to address an economic forum in the village of Alpbach on Saturday.
Ban said he had spoken to US President Barack Obama on Wednesday about the situation in Syria, discussing how "we can expedite the process of investigation," Reuters reported.
"I told him that we will ... share the information and our analysis of samples and evidence with members of the Security Council and United Nations members in general."
UN chemical weapons experts began a third day of investigations into an apparent poison gas attack last week.
"They (the inspection team) will continue investigation activities until tomorrow, Friday, and will come out of Syria by Saturday morning and will report to me," Ban said.
"Use of chemical weapons by anyone, for any reason, under any circumstances is a crime against humanity and that must be held accountable ...," Ban said. "(At the same time) it is important that all the differences of opinions should be resolved by peaceful means, through dialogue."
