Mattis: Delay in Syria chemical investigation ’unfortunate’

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis

Orient Net, April 19, 2018-- US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Wednesday (April 18) that a delay in a chemical weapons investigation by a UN delegation in Syria was "unfortunate," but that it resembled similar previous behavior by the Assad regime to "conceal" evidence.

A UN security team came under fire in Syria while doing reconnaissance for inspectors to visit sites of a suspected chemical weapons attack, and officials said it was no longer clear when the inspectors would be able to go in. Mattis made the remarks during a meeting with Qatar’s defense minister, Dr. Khalid bin Mohammad al-Attiyah, at the Pentagon.

The inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are in Syria to investigate an April 7 incident in which Western countries and rescue workers say scores of civilians were gassed to death by the regime militia.