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Syria, Russia not being honest about chemical weapons

Syrian officials insist they did not use chemical weapons against civilians on April 7. Russian and Iranian leaders back them up.

One Russian official accused the United States, England and France of having an ulterior motive for their missile attack on Syria last week. It was an attempt to keep a team of independent investigators from getting to Douma, Syria, the site of the alleged chemical assault, the Russian claimed.

Well, so much for that: Experts working with the international watchdog group the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons indeed have been blocked from reaching Douma — by Russian and Syrian military forces. OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu told The Associated Press “pending security issues” were cited by Russian and Syrian authorities.

OPCW investigators say Syrian officials offered to allow them to interview 22 people as witnesses regarding what happened in Douma. Officials of the independent group saw through that one.

Then, a Russian diplomat said the problem was that the OPCW team had not been cleared by the United Nations to visit Douma.

Both U.S. and French officials have said concrete proof exists that the Syrian government did use chemical weapons in Douma. Even while denying that, Russia and Syria are, by their actions, making it very clear they are trying to hide the truth.

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