UN Heads to Syria to Hunt Chemical Weapons

Following approval by Bashar al-Assad, a UN team is headed to Syria to investigate whether chemical weapons are being used in the country. "The departure of the team is now imminent," says a statement from secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon. Inspectors will remain in Syria "for a period of up to 14 days, extendable upon mutual consent" with its leaders. The probe aims to determine if the weapons have been used without seeking to identify a perpetrator. Just one of three inspection sites is known: Khan al-Assal, in Aleppo, Reuters reports. The investigation follows 13 reports to the UN of chemical weapons use, including one from the Syrian government itself. (More United Nations stories.)