Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. 10 Killed in Damascus Car Bombing by VOA News Syria's state-run SANA news agency said a "terrorist" car bomb exploded in the al-Shahbander area of Damascus, causing casualties. Officials said the blast killed at least 10 people. Also Monday, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says a team investigating claims of chemical weapons use in Syria is ready to deploy in the country within 24 hours, but is still waiting for approval from the Syrian government. Ban told reporters Monday in The Hague that the team led by Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom is waiting in Cyprus, and that discussions continue with Syria over some technical and legal issues. "All we are waiting for is the go-ahead from the Syrian government for a thorough investigation to determine whether any chemical weapons were used in any location," Ban said. "Ultimately, this is about the well-being of the Syrian people who have suffered enough already. The longer we wait, the harder this essential mission will be." He urged the Syrian government to be more flexible in the negotiations to ensure the investigators can deploy as soon as possible. Mr. Ban said delays will make it more difficult to gather samples. The Syrian government and rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad have traded accusations about the use of chemical weapons. Ban said Monday "all allegations should be investigated" without any preconditions. A U.N. spokesman said last month that the aim of the mission is not to find blame, but rather to discover if chemical weapons were used. __________________________________________________________________ [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/damascus-car-bombing-kills-10/1636828 .html References 1. http://www.voanews.com/content/damascus-car-bombing-kills-10/1636828.html