Russia, China veto UN draft resolution on Syria third time
Friday July 20, 2012 08:54:38 AM,
RIA
Novosti
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United Nations: Russia and China Thursday vetoed a Western-backed UN
resolution on Syria over fears that it could lead to foreign
military intervention in the violence-wracked Middle East country.
"We offered flexibility on Russia and China's concerns, but still
they refused to engage," said Britain's UN envoy Mark Lyall Grant
after the vote.
"They have chosen to put their national interests ahead of the
lives of millions of Syrians," he said.
Lyall Grant also said the failure to approve the resolution would
lead to "all-out civil war".
Russia's UN envoy Vitaly Churkov called the comments
"unacceptable".
"We have missed yet another critical opportunity to work
together," said US envoy Susan Rice. "We, and especially the
people of Syria, cannot afford to miss any more."
Rice said the conflict in Syria could result in a "proxy war that
will engulf the region".
The resolution was drawn up by Britain and threatens non-military
sanctions against President Bashar Al Assad's regime if it fails
to withdraw heavy weapons and troops from urban areas within 10
days.
The resolution is also tied to Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which
provides for the use of force to put an end to the rapidly
escalating conflict.
It received 11 votes in favour, with two abstentions.
The 15-strong Security Council now has time until midnight Friday
to come to an agreement on the extension of the UN monitoring
mission in Syria. Russia had earlier circulated a rival resolution
that proposed extending the mission by 90 days, but contained no
mention of sanctions.
Churkov said Thursday that Western countries had refused to work
with Russia on the resolution and that Moscow would not put it to
a Security Council vote.
This was the third time Russia and China vetoed a UN resolution on
Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed earlier this year not to
allow in Syria a repeat of the "Libya scenario", which saw the
ouster and killing of long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
after a NATO military campaign.
Russia said Wednesday after a suicide bombing in Damascus killed
the Syrian defence minister that the adoption of the West's
resolution would be "direct support" for rebel forces, who say
they have launched the final battle for control of the capital.
Fighting raged in Damascus for a fifth day Thursday, as rumours
circulated that Assad and his family had left the country. But
Syrian state television aired footage Thursday afternoon of Assad
swearing in the country's new defence minister.
The UN, quoting Syrian rights activists, says around 16,000 people
have died in Syria since the start of the revolt in March 2011.
Fyodor Lukyanov, a Moscow-based analyst and editor-in-chief of the
Russia in Global Affairs journal, said before the vote that a
failure to pass the resolution could see the open arming of rebel
forces.
"If there is no compromise, there will be no more resolutions, and
the West, along with leading Arab states, will begin to more
actively and more openly support the opposition and hope that
Assad will be toppled by force," said Lukyanov.
"Certain countries might also recognize the (opposition) Syrian
National Council as the legal government," he said.
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