This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/world/middleeast/chemical-weapons-inspectors-escape-attack-in-syria.html

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
Chemical Weapons Inspectors Escape Attack in Syria Chemical Weapons Inspectors Escape Attack in Syria
(1 day later)
BEIRUT, Lebanon — An international team sent to investigate allegations that chlorine gas had been used as a weapon in Syria’s civil war came under attack on Tuesday, forcing it to abort its mission to reach a village where numerous such attacks have been reported.BEIRUT, Lebanon — An international team sent to investigate allegations that chlorine gas had been used as a weapon in Syria’s civil war came under attack on Tuesday, forcing it to abort its mission to reach a village where numerous such attacks have been reported.
In a statement, the team from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is collaborating with the United Nations in overseeing Syria’s promise to abandon chemical weapons, said all of its investigators were safe and had returned to their base.In a statement, the team from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is collaborating with the United Nations in overseeing Syria’s promise to abandon chemical weapons, said all of its investigators were safe and had returned to their base.
The attack illustrated how easy it is for combatants in Syria’s civil war to undermine the work of international agencies and reflected the challenges of establishing the truth of chemical weapons allegations. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been working since last year to help Syria dispose of its chemical weapons under an agreement reached to avert threatened American strikes, after Aug. 21 chemical attacks that the Americans blamed on Syrian forces killed hundreds of people near Damascus, the Syrian capital.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been working since last year to help Syria dispose of its chemical weapons under an agreement reached to avert American airstrikes, after an Aug. 21 chemical attack that killed hundreds of people near Damascus, the Syrian capital. American officials blamed Syrian forces for the attack. Recently, however, antigovernment activists have accused the government of hitting rebel areas with chlorine gas, which is not normally considered a chemical weapon, to inflict misery on the rebels and their civilian backers.
The Obama administration has lauded the agreement for removing Syria’s chemical weapons without force, and the organization said last week that only 7.2 percent of Syria’s declared chemical weapons material remained in the country.
But antigovernment activists say the deal has done nothing to slow the war, since most of the more than 160,000 dead have been killed with conventional weapons. They have also accused the government in recent months of hitting rebel areas with chlorine gas, which is not normally considered a chemical weapon, to inflict misery on the rebels and their civilian backers.
The fact-finding mission was trying to reach Kfar Zeita, a village where a number of such attacks have been reported, when its vehicle was struck on Tuesday.The fact-finding mission was trying to reach Kfar Zeita, a village where a number of such attacks have been reported, when its vehicle was struck on Tuesday.
The Syrian government and the rebels blamed each other for the attack.The Syrian government and the rebels blamed each other for the attack.
The government first reported the attack, saying in a statement from the foreign ministry that Syrian forces had provided a security convoy for four United Nations vehicles. But before they reached their destination, the Syrians said, they concluded that they could no longer guarantee the team’s security and told the team to proceed only at its own risk, which it did. The government said in a statement that before the convoy of four United Nations vehicles reached their destination, one of them was hit with an explosive charge, forcing the passengers to transfer to the other three vehicles. Only one of those managed to leave the area, the statement said, adding that six investigators and five Syrian drivers had been kidnapped by “terrorist groups,” as it describes the rebels.
One of its vehicles was then hit with an explosive charge, the statement said, forcing the passengers to transfer to the other three vehicles, only one of which managed to leave the area. The government said 11 members of the team had been kidnapped by “terrorist groups,” as it describes the rebels. Antigovernment activists in the area, however, said the government had staged the attack to prevent investigators from reaching the site and posted videos online showing the investigators talking with rebels about which road they should use. It was unclear whether the video was taken before or after the attack.
Antigovernment activists in the area, however, said the government had staged the attack to prevent investigators from reaching the site. Akram Mahmoud, an activist in Kfar Zeita reached through an Internet call, said the local rebels had formed a committee to receive the investigators and accompany them to the local clinics. While they were waiting, they heard an explosion and contacted the inspectors, who said they were leaving the area.
It was unclear whether the inspectors would try again to visit the village.