Amid dozens of new deaths in Syria and opposition warnings of a potential massacre, Clinton, the head of the Arab League and the British and French foreign ministers headed to New York to push forward a UN resolution.
But Russia, which has veto-power in the council, has objected to a resolution introduced by Morocco under which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would accept a ceasefire and hand over power to a deputy ahead of talks.
“The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the escalation of the Syrian regime’s violent and brutal attacks on its own people,” Clinton said in a statement Monday announcing her trip to the United Nations.
“The Security Council must act and make clear to the Syrian regime that the world community views its actions as a threat to peace and security. The violence must end, so that a new period of democratic transition can begin.”
European Union leaders at a Brussels summit unanimously voiced outrage over the bloodshed in Syria. EU President Herman Van Rompuy called on the Security Council to “take long overdue steps to bring an end to the repression.”
British Prime Minister David Cameron, citing reports that more than 400 children have been killed in the crackdown, said: “It’s frankly an appalling situation.”
“It’s time for all the members of the UN Security Council to live up to their responsibilities instead of shielding those with blood on their hands,” Cameron said.
Syria’s foreign ministry fired back, saying “the aggressive American and Western statements against Syria are escalating in a scandalous manner,” and again blaming the recent violence on “armed terrorist groups.”
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