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UN chief opposes US arming Syrian rebels

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is opposing the U.S. decision to send arms to the Syrian rebels and says there can be no certainty of chemical weapons use in Syria without an on-the-ground investigation.

The U.N. chief reiterated Friday that there is no military solution to the more than two-year conflict and therefore increasing the flow of arms to either side “would not be helpful.”

Read more: Canadian Prime Minister convinced chemical weapons used in Syria

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The United States announced Thursday it decided to send lethal aid to the rebels after determining it had conclusive evidence that Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime used chemical weapons against opposition forces.

Read more: Syria says U.S. statements on chemical weapons ‘full of lies’

But Ban told reporters “the validity of any information on the alleged use of chemical weapons cannot be ensured without convincing evidence of the chain-of-custody.”

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Syria refuses to allow U.N. inspectors into the country.

Watch: British Prime Minister David Cameron today welcomed the US assessment that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons.

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