Posted on 06/17/2012 9:43:47 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
The UN has suspended its two-month old observer mission in Syria. Norwegian General Robert Mood, who was running the effort meant to monitor a cease-fire that never materialized...
Russia remains as committed as ever to opposing UN Security Council authorization of international military action. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this week that Russia has been shipping defensive weapons to Syria to prevent outside military intervention, and in an interview published in The New York Times yesterday, the head of the Russian government's arms export agency Rosoboronexport said those shipments include advanced air defense systems...
That's a pretty clear indication that Russia won't allow a resolution like UNSC 1973, which authorized the NATO air campaign over Libya last year that helped drive Muammar Qaddafi out of power (and to his death), to go forward. Russia abstained from the Libya vote, but later said it felt betrayed after a promise to use force only to directly protect civilians expanded into a campaign to destroy Mr. Qaddafi's regime.
That leaves diplomacy over a deepening civil war that has been strongly colored by the sectarian cleavages of Syria. President Bashar al-Assad and the core of his regime are members of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, while his opponents are mostly drawn from Syria's Sunni majority. Fury over a death toll that has topped 13,000 in more than a year of fighting leaves few in Syria in the mood for reconciliation. Further complicating matters is Saudi Arabian support for the rebels and their loosely organized fighting force, the Free Syrian Army. In recent months, the FSA has shown signs of being better armed, and deaths among Mr. Assad's military have been rising.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
Have a great day.
If the UN stopped doing things merely because they were ineffective they would have to stop doing everything that they do.
:’) The real reason given is that the observers are unarmed and can’t intervene when Assad’s army opens fire on protesters.
They're trying to hold all those headlines to use against Romney when he takes office. Can they hold it all back for 5 more months. No, I think an emergency will likely flare up very soon and the First Dunce will appear as incompetent as usual.
/bingo
Wonder what their FR nicks are? ;’)
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