DAMASCUS: Inspectors from the international chemical weapons watchdog met Syrian officials in Damascus on Monday but have so far been denied access to the former rebel stronghold where the alleged use of toxic substances provoked a US-led strike.
Western powers have traded threats and accusations with Russia -- the main backer of the Syrian regime -- since launching missile strikes over the weekend to punish what they said was a chemical attack that killed dozens of civilians.
The US has raised the prospect of more sanctions against Russia. Critics have complained that the strikes pre-empted the probe by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons into the alleged attack on April 7.
The fact-finders arrived in Damascus on Saturday but the OPCW said their visit to Douma had been delayed by Syrian and Russian officials citing "pending security issues."
"The team has not yet deployed to Douma," OPCW Director General Ahmet Uzumcu said in a statement.
President Bashar al-Assad's government said on Monday it was ready to cooperate and facilitate the work of the OPCW team, but did not say when they would go to the site.
The Associated Press reported late Monday (Thailand time) that its journalists visited Douma on a government-approved media trip, and spoke to residents who described a terrifying gas attack on April 7.
AP said those most affected in the attack, near Douma's Martyrs Square, were children and elderly people.
The agency said survivors blamed the attack on the Army of Islam, the powerful rebel group that controlled the town before it was taken over by Syrian government forces this week. They did not offer evidence to back up their claims, which were made in the presence of media "guides" from the Damascus government.
The delays prompted a bout of complaints from the US and U.K, which both called on Syria and Russia to allow the inspectors unfettered access. Moscow denied it was blocking OPCW experts but said the United Nations security department had not yet agreed for the mission to travel to Douma, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
Trading Accusations
The US said no special UN permission was required.
"Chemical weapons were used on Syrian men, women, and children in #Douma. Reports that #OPCW weapons inspectors require special @UN passes are completely false. #Syria and #Russia need to stop the disinformation and allow unfettered access to the attack sites," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Twitter.