Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) went to Syria last week to try to determine whether banned toxins were used in an attack on a rebel enclave on April 7.&nbsp; 
The United States, Britain and France responded to the suspected poison gas attack by firing more than 100 missiles on Saturday at what they described as three Syrian chemical weapons installations. 
On Monday, Washington and London accused Moscow of blocking the nine OPCW inspectors from reaching the alleged gas attack site and said Russians or Syrians may have tampered with evidence there. 
The OPCW Fact-Finding Mission, if it goes ahead, will collect samples and look for clues to determine whether internationally prohibited chemical weapons were used, though it will not assign blame.&nbsp; 
Here is an overview of their objectives and challenges: 
&nbsp; 
SAMPLES 
- A priority will be collecting samples, both environmental (such as soil) and biomedical (such as blood) from victims and the scene of the attack. The samples will be returned to the OPCW`s main laboratory in the Netherlands. They are generally split, up to four times in some cases, and sent to independent national laboratories affiliated with the OPCW. The inspectors are bound to a strict chain of custody procedure, which means they usually must be present when a sample is taken and it must remain in their possession. In the past, the OPCW has worked with medical staff from the World Health Organisation, which has provided samples from victims and witnesses, and would be asked to do the same in the case of Douma. These could be blood, urine or tissue samples. 
&nbsp; 
EVIDENCE 
- By the time environmental samples are taken in Douma it will be well over a week since the alleged attack. This will make it more difficult to collect evidence than a normal crime scene, where authorities often arrive within hours. The OPCW team will work as quickly as possible to collect any samples of chlorine and sarin - which it previously found to have been used in the civil war - or other poisonous chemicals. 
Chlorine dissipates extremely rapidly and in some cases is no longer traceable after a day. Other chemical compounds, such as sarin, might be found days or even weeks later. 
The inspectors will also be looking for other evidence, such as canisters, rocket or bomb fragments, impact sites and craters and will take photographs and video of them. The delivery mechanisms often contain traces of chemicals. 
&nbsp; 
WITNESSES 
- Witnesses have spoken of hearing the whistle of barrel bombs falling from the sky. These too have been widely used in the Syrian war, as previously documented by the OPCW`s Fact-Finding Mission. Some carried canisters of chlorine and an explosive charge. These too, if found, could be proof of a chemical attack. 
The team will interview emergency responders, survivors, medical staff who treated victims and other witnesses to determine whether they suffered from symptoms associated with chemicals. These might include suffocating, foaming at the mouth, constricted pupils, convulsions and involuntary urination or defecation. 
&nbsp; 
SAFETY RISK 
- Fighting between government forces and rebels in Douma, a town in the Ghouta region east of Damascus, has ceased but security risks remain. Inspectors have twice come under fire while trying to get to the site of chemical weapons sites in Syria.&nbsp; 
In August 2013, they were shot at by a sniper near eastern Ghouta, where hundreds of people had been gassed with the nerve agent sarin.&nbsp; 
In May 2014, a convoy of vehicles carrying inspectors was hit by explosives and automatic gunfire while travelling to the northern town of Kafr Zita in Hama governorate. They were briefly held captive. No one was seriously wounded in either attack. No culprits were identified. 
&nbsp;

Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are in Syria to try and determine whether banned toxins were used in an attack in Douma, in the rebel enclave of Ghouta, on April 7

Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) went to Syria last week to try to determine whether banned toxins were used in an attack on a rebel enclave on April 7. The United States, Britain and France responded to the suspected poison gas attack by firing more than 100 missiles on Saturday at what they described as three Syrian chemical weapons installations. On Monday, Washington and London accused Moscow of blocking the nine OPCW inspectors from reaching the alleged gas attack site and said Russians or Syrians may have tampered with evidence there. The OPCW Fact-Finding Mission, if it goes ahead, will collect samples and look for clues to determine whether internationally prohibited chemical weapons were used, though it will not assign blame. Here is an overview of their objectives and challenges: SAMPLES - A priority will be collecting samples, both environmental (such as soil) and biomedical (such as blood) from victims and the scene of the attack. The samples will be returned to the OPCW`s main laboratory in the Netherlands. They are generally split, up to four times in some cases, and sent to independent national laboratories affiliated with the OPCW. The inspectors are bound to a strict chain of custody procedure, which means they usually must be present when a sample is taken and it must remain in their possession. In the past, the OPCW has worked with medical staff from the World Health Organisation, which has provided samples from victims and witnesses, and would be asked to do the same in the case of Douma. These could be blood, urine or tissue samples. EVIDENCE - By the time environmental samples are taken in Douma it will be well over a week since the alleged attack. This will make it more difficult to collect evidence than a normal crime scene, where authorities often arrive within hours. The OPCW team will work as quickly as possible to collect any samples of chlorine and sarin - which it previously found to have been used in the civil war - or other poisonous chemicals. Chlorine dissipates extremely rapidly and in some cases is no longer traceable after a day. Other chemical compounds, such as sarin, might be found days or even weeks later. The inspectors will also be looking for other evidence, such as canisters, rocket or bomb fragments, impact sites and craters and will take photographs and video of them. The delivery mechanisms often contain traces of chemicals. WITNESSES - Witnesses have spoken of hearing the whistle of barrel bombs falling from the sky. These too have been widely used in the Syrian war, as previously documented by the OPCW`s Fact-Finding Mission. Some carried canisters of chlorine and an explosive charge. These too, if found, could be proof of a chemical attack. The team will interview emergency responders, survivors, medical staff who treated victims and other witnesses to determine whether they suffered from symptoms associated with chemicals. These might include suffocating, foaming at the mouth, constricted pupils, convulsions and involuntary urination or defecation. SAFETY RISK - Fighting between government forces and rebels in Douma, a town in the Ghouta region east of Damascus, has ceased but security risks remain. Inspectors have twice come under fire while trying to get to the site of chemical weapons sites in Syria. In August 2013, they were shot at by a sniper near eastern Ghouta, where hundreds of people had been gassed with the nerve agent sarin. In May 2014, a convoy of vehicles carrying inspectors was hit by explosives and automatic gunfire while travelling to the northern town of Kafr Zita in Hama governorate. They were briefly held captive. No one was seriously wounded in either attack. No culprits were identified.

How do chemical weapons inspectors work?

The United States accused Russia on Monday of blocking international inspectors from reaching the site of a suspected poison gas attack in Syria and said Russians or Syrians may have tampered with evidence on the ground.

Moscow denied the charge and blamed delays on retaliatory U.S.-led missile strikes on Syria on Saturday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron faced criticism from political opponents over their decisions to take part in the air strikes.

Syria and Russia deny unleashing poison gas on April 7 during their offensive on Douma, which ended with the recapture of the town that had been the last rebel stronghold near the capital, Damascus.

Relief organisations say dozens of men, women and children were killed. Footage of young victims foaming at the mouth and weeping in agony has thrust Syria's civil war - in which half a million people have been killed in the past seven years - to the forefront of world concern again.

Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) travelled to Syria last week to inspect the site, but have yet to gain access to Douma, which is now under government control after the rebels withdrew.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/chemical-weapons-inspectors-how-do-they-work-130954">How do chemical weapons inspectors work?&nbsp;</a>

"It is our understanding the Russians may have visited the attack site," U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Ward said at an OPCW meeting in The Hague on Monday.

"It is our concern that they may have tampered with it with the intent of thwarting the efforts of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission to conduct an effective investigation," he said. His comments at the closed-door meeting were obtained by Reuters.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied Moscow had interfered with any evidence. "I can guarantee that Russia has not tampered with the site," he told the BBC.

Increasing regional jitters, Syrian anti-aircraft defences shot down missiles fired at the Syrian air base of Shayrat in Homs province, Syrian state television said.

The Pentagon said there was no U.S. military activity in that area "at this time".

Separately, the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia said Syrian air defences intercepted three missiles aimed at Dumair military airport northeast of Damascus.

An Israeli military spokesman said: "We don't comment on such reports".

TRUMP WANTS US&nbsp;TROOPS HOME

Two days after the missile strikes that he hailed as a well-executed military operation, President Donald Trump still wants to bring the small number of U.S. troops in northern Syria home, the White House said.

But spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said he had not set a timeline for a pullout. Trump was also willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, she added, while indicating that no such encounter was imminent.

Britain's delegation to the OPCW accused Russia and the Assad government of stopping inspectors from reaching Douma.

"Unfettered access is essential," it said in a statement. "Russia and Syria must cooperate."

The team aims to collect samples, interview witnesses and document evidence to determine whether banned toxic munitions were used, although it is not permitted to assign blame for the attack.

British Ambassador Peter Wilson said in The Hague that the United Nations had cleared the inspectors to go but they had been unable to reach Douma because Syria and Russia had been unable to guarantee their safety.

Moscow blamed the delay on the air strikes, in which the United States, France and Britain targeted what the Pentagon said were three chemical weapons facilities.

"We called for an objective investigation. This was at the very beginning after this information (of the attack) appeared. Therefore allegations of this towards Russia are groundless," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

A Russian defence ministry official said later the OPCW experts would travel to Douma on Wednesday.

Russia's defence ministry said the United States and its allies had hit military targets and not just research facilities, Interfax news agency reported.

The RIA news agency quoted the ministry as saying the Syrian military destroyed 71 out of 103 cruise missiles detected in Syrian airspace.

The inspectors met Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in the presence of Russian officers and a senior Syrian security official in Damascus for about three hours on Sunday.

OPCW inspectors have been attacked on two previous missions to the sites of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Syrian flags flew in Douma on Monday, security forces stood on street corners and Russian military police patrolled the streets. State aid trucks handed out bread, rice and pasta to people who had lived under siege for years.

A government-organised media tour did not include the building where, according to rescue workers and medics who were in town at the time, dozens of people were killed by poison gas.

Doctors at the hospital where suspected victims were treated told reporters on the tour that none of the patients that night had suffered chemical weapons injuries - they were asphyxiated by dust and smoke in a bombardment.

Medical aid groups and the White Helmets rescue organisation have said such statements - already aired on state television in recent days - were made under duress.

'RIGHT THING TO DO'

The U.S.-led strikes did nothing to alter the strategic balance or dent Assad's supremacy, and the Western allies have said the aim was to prevent the further use of chemical weapons, not to intervene in the civil war or topple Assad.

At a meeting in Luxembourg, the 28 EU foreign ministers endorsed the missile strikes and considered steps to deepen Assad's isolation.

Britain's May told parliament the decision to conduct air strikes against Syria was in the British national interest and not as a result of pressure from Trump.

"We have not done this because President Trump asked us to, we have done it because we believed it was the right thing to do, and we are not alone. There is broad-based international support for the action we have taken," May said.

May has said she did not seek a green light from parliament for the attacks, citing the need to act quickly.

The US added the Russians or Syrians may have tampered with evidence on the ground in Douma

The United States accused Russia on Monday of blocking international inspectors from reaching the site of a suspected poison gas attack in Syria and said Russians or Syrians may have tampered with evidence on the ground. Moscow denied the charge and blamed delays on retaliatory U.S.-led missile strikes on Syria on Saturday. British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron faced criticism from political opponents over their decisions to take part in the air strikes. Syria and Russia deny unleashing poison gas on April 7 during their offensive on Douma, which ended with the recapture of the town that had been the last rebel stronghold near the capital, Damascus. Relief organisations say dozens of men, women and children were killed. Footage of young victims foaming at the mouth and weeping in agony has thrust Syria's civil war - in which half a million people have been killed in the past seven years - to the forefront of world concern again. Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) travelled to Syria last week to inspect the site, but have yet to gain access to Douma, which is now under government control after the rebels withdrew. Also read: How do chemical weapons inspectors work? "It is our understanding the Russians may have visited the attack site," U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Ward said at an OPCW meeting in The Hague on Monday. "It is our concern that they may have tampered with it with the intent of thwarting the efforts of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission to conduct an effective investigation," he said. His comments at the closed-door meeting were obtained by Reuters. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied Moscow had interfered with any evidence. "I can guarantee that Russia has not tampered with the site," he told the BBC. Increasing regional jitters, Syrian anti-aircraft defences shot down missiles fired at the Syrian air base of Shayrat in Homs province, Syrian state television said. The Pentagon said there was no U.S. military activity in that area "at this time". Separately, the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia said Syrian air defences intercepted three missiles aimed at Dumair military airport northeast of Damascus. An Israeli military spokesman said: "We don't comment on such reports". TRUMP WANTS US TROOPS HOME Two days after the missile strikes that he hailed as a well-executed military operation, President Donald Trump still wants to bring the small number of U.S. troops in northern Syria home, the White House said. But spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said he had not set a timeline for a pullout. Trump was also willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, she added, while indicating that no such encounter was imminent. Britain's delegation to the OPCW accused Russia and the Assad government of stopping inspectors from reaching Douma. "Unfettered access is essential," it said in a statement. "Russia and Syria must cooperate." The team aims to collect samples, interview witnesses and document evidence to determine whether banned toxic munitions were used, although it is not permitted to assign blame for the attack. British Ambassador Peter Wilson said in The Hague that the United Nations had cleared the inspectors to go but they had been unable to reach Douma because Syria and Russia had been unable to guarantee their safety. Moscow blamed the delay on the air strikes, in which the United States, France and Britain targeted what the Pentagon said were three chemical weapons facilities. "We called for an objective investigation. This was at the very beginning after this information (of the attack) appeared. Therefore allegations of this towards Russia are groundless," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. A Russian defence ministry official said later the OPCW experts would travel to Douma on Wednesday. Russia's defence ministry said the United States and its allies had hit military targets and not just research facilities, Interfax news agency reported. The RIA news agency quoted the ministry as saying the Syrian military destroyed 71 out of 103 cruise missiles detected in Syrian airspace. The inspectors met Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in the presence of Russian officers and a senior Syrian security official in Damascus for about three hours on Sunday. OPCW inspectors have been attacked on two previous missions to the sites of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Syrian flags flew in Douma on Monday, security forces stood on street corners and Russian military police patrolled the streets. State aid trucks handed out bread, rice and pasta to people who had lived under siege for years. A government-organised media tour did not include the building where, according to rescue workers and medics who were in town at the time, dozens of people were killed by poison gas. Doctors at the hospital where suspected victims were treated told reporters on the tour that none of the patients that night had suffered chemical weapons injuries - they were asphyxiated by dust and smoke in a bombardment. Medical aid groups and the White Helmets rescue organisation have said such statements - already aired on state television in recent days - were made under duress. 'RIGHT THING TO DO' The U.S.-led strikes did nothing to alter the strategic balance or dent Assad's supremacy, and the Western allies have said the aim was to prevent the further use of chemical weapons, not to intervene in the civil war or topple Assad. At a meeting in Luxembourg, the 28 EU foreign ministers endorsed the missile strikes and considered steps to deepen Assad's isolation. Britain's May told parliament the decision to conduct air strikes against Syria was in the British national interest and not as a result of pressure from Trump. "We have not done this because President Trump asked us to, we have done it because we believed it was the right thing to do, and we are not alone. There is broad-based international support for the action we have taken," May said. May has said she did not seek a green light from parliament for the attacks, citing the need to act quickly.

Russia blocking international inspectors from reaching suspected Syria chemical attack site: US

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