A much-anticipated United Nations report on an alleged poison gas attack last month in Syria is due to be released to the public Monday as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry continues his world travels in the hope of gaining support among American allies for a deal reached with Russia on the disposal of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons.
The U.N. said Sunday that its chief chemical weapons inspector had turned over his team's report to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said the report was transmitted Sunday and the secretary-general would brief a closed session of the U.N. Security Council on its contents Monday morning. He will also brief the 193-member General Assembly later that day. The secretary-general is also due to brief the media at approximately 12:50 p.m.
The report was also scheduled to be posted on the website of the UN's Office for Disarmament Affairs sometime Monday morning.
The secretary-general said Friday that he believes there will be "an overwhelming report" that chemical weapons were used in the attack.
On Monday, Kerry met with French President Francois Hollande, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, and British Foreign Secretary William Hague in Paris.
U.S. and Russian officials reached an ambitious agreement over the weekend calling for an inventory of Syria's chemical weapons program within a week, with the program eradicated by mid-2014.
But many of those who blame Assad for the chemical attack and most strongly backed military strikes said the pressure is on Assad to uphold his end of any deal.
"The military option must remain; otherwise there will be no pressure," French President Francois Hollande said in an address Sunday, echoing comments made by President Obama, who said the United States was "prepared to act" if diplomacy failed.
A United Nations resolution would detail how Syria can secure and destroy its stockpile. The content of that is under discussion Monday.
An official close to Hollande said there was firm agreement among France, Britain and the United States that the resolution must be "strong, robust, precise" and must include a calendar of benchmarks for Assad. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.
Kerry, Hague and Hollande also agreed to continue to work toward a political solution with the Syrian opposition, the officials said.
The Aug. 21 attack unfolded as a U.N. chemical weapons team was in Syria to investigate earlier reported attacks. After days of delays, the inspectors were allowed access to victims, doctors and others in the Damascus suburbs afflicted by the poison gas. The U.N.'s chief weapons inspector turned over his team's report on Sunday, and the Security Council is due to take it up in a closed session Monday.
The Assad regime insists that the attack was carried out by rebels. The inspection team led by Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom was mandated to report on whether chemical weapons were used and which ones they were -- not on who was responsible.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The U.N. said Sunday that its chief chemical weapons inspector had turned over his team's report to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said the report was transmitted Sunday and the secretary-general would brief a closed session of the U.N. Security Council on its contents Monday morning. He will also brief the 193-member General Assembly later that day. The secretary-general is also due to brief the media at approximately 12:50 p.m.
The report was also scheduled to be posted on the website of the UN's Office for Disarmament Affairs sometime Monday morning.
The secretary-general said Friday that he believes there will be "an overwhelming report" that chemical weapons were used in the attack.
On Monday, Kerry met with French President Francois Hollande, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, and British Foreign Secretary William Hague in Paris.
U.S. and Russian officials reached an ambitious agreement over the weekend calling for an inventory of Syria's chemical weapons program within a week, with the program eradicated by mid-2014.
But many of those who blame Assad for the chemical attack and most strongly backed military strikes said the pressure is on Assad to uphold his end of any deal.
"The military option must remain; otherwise there will be no pressure," French President Francois Hollande said in an address Sunday, echoing comments made by President Obama, who said the United States was "prepared to act" if diplomacy failed.
A United Nations resolution would detail how Syria can secure and destroy its stockpile. The content of that is under discussion Monday.
An official close to Hollande said there was firm agreement among France, Britain and the United States that the resolution must be "strong, robust, precise" and must include a calendar of benchmarks for Assad. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.
Kerry, Hague and Hollande also agreed to continue to work toward a political solution with the Syrian opposition, the officials said.
The Aug. 21 attack unfolded as a U.N. chemical weapons team was in Syria to investigate earlier reported attacks. After days of delays, the inspectors were allowed access to victims, doctors and others in the Damascus suburbs afflicted by the poison gas. The U.N.'s chief weapons inspector turned over his team's report on Sunday, and the Security Council is due to take it up in a closed session Monday.
The Assad regime insists that the attack was carried out by rebels. The inspection team led by Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom was mandated to report on whether chemical weapons were used and which ones they were -- not on who was responsible.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.