February 4, 2012 -- New York -- AJC profoundly regrets the vetoes by China and Russia of UN Security Council action on Syria. The council voted 13-2 on a resolution today.

“Tragically, China and Russia, standing alone, have prevented the UN Security Council from adopting any significant measures to help protect the Syrian people from their bloodthirsty ruler, Bashar al-Assad,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris. “Their vetoes are all the more troubling on a day when hundreds of Syrians in the city of Homs have been massacred by Assad’s forces in what is the deadliest day since the uprising began last March.”

The Security Council started deliberations last Monday on a new resolution to support an Arab League plan calling on Assad to pull back his forces from Syrian cities and step aside and transfer power to his vice president.

Russia and China adamantly oppose any calls for Assad to leave office, and already vetoed another Security Council resolution on Syria in October.

After days of intense negotiations this week, including talks between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, references in the draft text to Assad giving up power, an arms embargo and sanctions were removed, while language barring any military intervention was added.

Despite these revisions, Russia continued to balk at moving the resolution forward. But the U.S., European and Arab countries insisted on a vote today.

“We share the deep disappointment of President Obama and Secretary Clinton with the obstructionist stance of China and Russia,” said Harris. “The Syrian people looked to the UN Security Council for support to stop the Assad regime’s waves of deadly assaults, but have been rebuffed by Moscow and Beijing.”