Syria probe mission on hold over security

BEIRUT: The world’s chemical arms watchdog froze its probe into an alleged chemical attack near Damascus Wednesday, demanding “unhindered access” after a UN reconnaissance mission came under fire. Four days after reaching the Syrian capital, OPCW inspectors had yet to begin their field work in Douma, where dozens were killed in a reported gas attack widely blamed on Syria’s government. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said its fact-finding mission (FFM) would stay put in Damascus if its safety was not guaranteed.