Hillary Rodham Clinton is calling for supporters of a democratic Syria to rally against President Bashar Assad’s regime, and unite to coordinate assistance to the Syrian opposition, MSNBC is reporting. The news comes after the U.S. Secretary of State criticized Russia and China for blocking U.N. Security Council action on the Western Asian country. She said the international community has a duty to stop ongoing bloodshed and promote transition that would see Assad step down.
Clinton’s criticism was accompanied by U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, saying she was “disgusted” by the vote, and any further bloodshed will be on Russia and China’s hands. Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague released a statement, saying Moscow and Beijing have let the Syrian people down, “and will only encourage President Assad’s brutal regime to increase the killing.”
The Arab League said it will continue to seek a resolution to the Syrian crisis. Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali added that “we have to expel the Syrian ambassadors from Arab countries and other countries.” He also criticized the “excessive use of the veto” in the U.N. Security Council.
The remaining 13 members of the Security Council backed the resolution, which would have supported an Arab League plan that would have forced Assad to cede powers to a deputy, withdraw troops from towns and begin transitioning to democracy. Russia was against the resolution because it claimed it would promote regime change.
Written by: Karen Benardello
