Russia and China veto resolution calling for Assad to step down
Russia and China have vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad to step down (Hat Tip: Memeorandum).The Russian and Chinese stance came as a blow to U.S. and European efforts to rally behind an Arab League plan that would require Assad to step down, making way for a democratically elected unity government with a leader commading support from both the government and the opposition.Isn't leading from behind great? Now, Obama can't or won't do anything because he refuses to act without the UN's blessing. I'm glad we're finding that out at Syria's expense (given that the other side is the Muslim Brotherhood) and not at Israel's expense.
The Security Council vote capped weeks of tumultuous negotiations that pitted the United States, the European Union and the Arab League against Russia, Syria’s remaining protector in the 15-member council. It undercuts a diplomatic push by the Arab League to secure the council’s backing for its plan, which also included provisions requiring Syria to open itself to far greater outside scrutiny, allowing foreign journalists, Arab monitors and U.N. human rights investigators unimpeded access throughout the country.
After the vote, Russia’s U.N. envoy, Vitaly I. Churkin, accused his Western colleagues of undermining the prospects for a deal, saying they had promoted a strategy aimed at “regime change” by backing the opposition’s pursuit of power and feeding “armed methods of struggle.”
The resolution, he said, would have “sent an unbalanced signal” to the key parties in Syria and given the opposition greater scope for extending military gains.
“The Syrian opposition must distance itself from extremist groups,” he said.
Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Chinese veto, Russian veto, Syrian uprising, United Nations Security Council
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:32 PM
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