The UN Security Council today voted 11 to 3 with one abstention in favor of a resolution calling for a one week cease fire in Aleppo, Syria so that humanitarian aid could be delivered to starving civilians. The resolution was not passed, however, because both Russia and China were among the no votes, so the resolution was vetoed.
Think about that. Aleppo is about to fall, but the rebels are holding out. Hundreds of thousands of people are caught in the city and they have no food, no water and no medical supplies. Russia and China do not want these people to receive help, hence their vetoes.
That is truly terrible, but it actually gets worse when you hear what the Russians had to say about the resolution. The Russians blamed the USA for the failure of the resolution to pass. The Russian ambassador said that John Kerry had agreed with the Russians to assemble a group of experts to consider how to help the civilians and that a cease fire would undermine that effort. In simple language, the Russians want the civilians to starve to death so that a group of supposed "experts" will have time to work out a plan to help those same civilians. It's double talk at a truly offensive level.
And what about the Chinese? The Russians at least are backing the Assad regime, so their barbarism can be explained. Why are the Chinese blocking humanitarian aid to the civilians stuck in Aleppo? They offered no reason for the veto.
It is more than fair to point out that the disaster which has killed so many in Syria is at least partly the result of the failure of president Obama to follow any coherent policy on the subject. Nevertheless, we are now at a point where there is a danger of additional hundreds of thousands dying. Today's vetoes by Russia and China should earn both countries a badge of ultimate dishonor. Clearly these countries care nothing about those who are about to die.
Think about that. Aleppo is about to fall, but the rebels are holding out. Hundreds of thousands of people are caught in the city and they have no food, no water and no medical supplies. Russia and China do not want these people to receive help, hence their vetoes.
That is truly terrible, but it actually gets worse when you hear what the Russians had to say about the resolution. The Russians blamed the USA for the failure of the resolution to pass. The Russian ambassador said that John Kerry had agreed with the Russians to assemble a group of experts to consider how to help the civilians and that a cease fire would undermine that effort. In simple language, the Russians want the civilians to starve to death so that a group of supposed "experts" will have time to work out a plan to help those same civilians. It's double talk at a truly offensive level.
And what about the Chinese? The Russians at least are backing the Assad regime, so their barbarism can be explained. Why are the Chinese blocking humanitarian aid to the civilians stuck in Aleppo? They offered no reason for the veto.
It is more than fair to point out that the disaster which has killed so many in Syria is at least partly the result of the failure of president Obama to follow any coherent policy on the subject. Nevertheless, we are now at a point where there is a danger of additional hundreds of thousands dying. Today's vetoes by Russia and China should earn both countries a badge of ultimate dishonor. Clearly these countries care nothing about those who are about to die.
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