UN Does Not Have Permission From Assad to Investigate the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria

Negotiations with the Syrian government are still ongoing

THE HAGUE, Netherlands—UN chief Ban Ki-moon says inspectors are ready to deploy to Syria within 24 hours to investigate reported chemical weapon attacks in the country's two-year civil war but have no permission yet from President Bashar Assad's government.

Ban says reports about the use of chemical weapons in Syria "should be examined without delay, without conditions and without exceptions."