LOC16:58
13:58 GMT
PARIS, April 9 (KUNA) -- The French government said on Tuesday that it was
fully behind a UN-sponsored mission to investigate allegations of chemical
weapons' use in the Syrian conflict.
After initially accusing opposition rebels of using Weapons of Mass
Destruction (WMD) and then calling on the UN to investigate, the Damascus
regime is now saying it will not give free access to weapons inspectors to
determine who used what, and when in Syria.
French officials stressed that these types of investigations were
complicated and difficult, firstly to prove some chemical or other weapon was
used and, secondly, to attribute the responsibility to someone in particular.
Both the Syrian regime and the opposition accuse each other of using WMD of
some description.
But Paris also stressed on Tuesday that Syria's "refusal" to allow in a UN
mission was "regrettable" and "raised doubts" about the role Damascus may have
played in alleged incidents.
The UN has asked to put the mission in place "without delay, without
conditions and without exceptions," meaning inspectors would have free reign
to carry out their inquiry, but Damascus is balking at such a range of
inspections.
"We support this mission...and the conditions" set out by UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, French spokesman Philippe Lalliot said.
He said inspectors must have "total freedom of movement and freedom to
inspect." (End)
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KUNA 091658 Apr 13NNNN