Our Views: An ugly veto in the UN

The deadly game of Russia and China in international politics continues, with the two authoritarian countries lined up against much of the civilized world that is appalled at the killings in Syria.

As permanent members of the Security Council, Russia and China vetoed another United Nations resolution seeking to pressure the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to curb his violent crackdown.

The resolution gained support from most of the Security Council members, passing 11-2 with two abstentions, Pakistan and South Africa. The abstainers share in the guilt, but at least don’t have the veto, as Russia and China do.

“The Security Council has failed utterly in its most important task on its agenda this year,” Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the council after the vote. “The first two vetoes were very destructive. This veto is even more dangerous and deplorable.”

Comments

1) Comment by tradewinns - 02/08/2012

our foreign policy is just as full of baloney as "the other sides". propaganda is not exclusive to just one side. so far the "arab spring" has been disasterous to "our side".

2) Comment by [e-mail] - 02/08/2012

I'm appalled at the latitude that the UN is taking into activism into the internal affairs of soviergn countries; taking sides is not what they're supposed to be doing. What that supposes is that only the UN knows what's right for that country and whichever side get's the international nod has the high ground and whatever wrong they do is glossed over and whatever the wrong side does is demonized. The UN is not the ultimate authority that gets to decide winners and losers.