Chemical weapons watchdog: Syria, Russia delay visit to Douma

The head of the international chemical weapons watchdog says that Syrian and Russian officials are citing “pending security issues” in keeping its inspectors from reaching the site of an alleged gas attack.

Ahmet Uzumcu, the director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, says that “the team has not yet deployed to Douma,” two days after arriving in Syria.

He tells an executive council of the OPCW that Syrian and the Russian officials who took part in meetings in Damascus told the team “that there were still pending security issues to be worked out before any deployment could take place.”

He explains Syrian authorities were offering 22 people to interview as witnesses instead.

Uzumcu says he hoped “all necessary arrangements will be made … to allow the team to deploy to Douma as soon as possible.”

Syrian opposition activists and first responders say a chemical attack by government forces in Douma on April 7 killed more than 40 people. The government has denied ever using chemical weapons and had welcomed the fact-finding mission.

— AP