UN to hold emergency meeting on Syria attack

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The UN Security Council scheduled emergency consultations Wednesday on the latest allegation of chemical weapons use in Syria, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he is determined to ensure a "thorough investigation" of all reported incidents.

UN deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said the secretary-general is "shocked" at Wednesday s alleged use of chemical weapons on the eastern suburbs of Damascus.

Syrian anti-government activists accused President Bashar Assad s regime of carrying out a toxic gas attack that killed at least 100 people, including many children as they slept. The government has denied using chemical weapons.

The attack coincided with the visit to Syria by a 20-member U.N. chemical weapons team to investigate three previous allegations of chemical weapons use.

The team s leader, Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom, "is in discussions with the Syrian government on all issues pertaining to the alleged use of chemical weapons, including this most recent reported incident," del Buey said.

Britain and France drafted a letter to the secretary-general requesting that the chemical weapons team investigate Wednesday s incident, and other countries including the United States have signed it, U.N. diplomats said.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because contacts have been private.

A White House spokesman said the U.S. was asking the U.N. to investigate and wants a Security Council debate.

Del Buey said the secretary-general is aware that a number of member states, the Arab League and the European Union have expressed "grave concern" about Wednesday s alleged attack.

"The secretary-general reaffirms his determination to ensure a thorough investigation of the reported alleged incidents that are brought to his attention by member states," del Buey said.

Ban reiterated "that any use of chemical weapons, by any side, under any circumstances, would violate international humanitarian law," he said.