UN chief opposes US arms to Syria rebels, says on site probe must confirm chemical weapon use

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.”

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.

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.”

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