Predictable Vetos at the UN

What's that? China and the Union of We-Wish-We-Were-Still-Soviet Socialist-In-All-But-Name Not-Even-Pretending-To-Be-A-Republic-Anymore vetoed a UN resolution condemning Syria, one of their biggest arms customers? Sure didn't see that coming.

China and Russia have vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria over its crackdown on anti-government protesters.

The European-drafted resolution had been watered down to try to avoid the vetoes, dropping a direct reference to sanctions against Damascus.

But Moscow and Beijing said the draft contained no provision against outside military intervention in Syria.

The US envoy to the UN said Washington was "outraged" by the vote.

Susan Rice, who walked out after the vote, said opposition to the resolution was a "cheap ruse by those who would rather sell arms to the Syrian regime than stand with the Syrian people".

The result is a huge blow to European and US efforts on the Syria issue, the BBC's Laura Trevelyan in New York says.

Maybe they're afraid of a second Libya now that NATO has shown the balls to blow shit up without the Americans cramming it down their throats (see also: Kosovo).

By: Brant