Russia: West 'slammed door' on Syria at U.N.

America doesn't have a monopoly over the U.N. veto. Good to see them tasting the same bitter pill they have forced everyone else to swallow over the decades, especially on issues regarding Israel.

Why would the pill be bitter for the States to swallow? It's actually a blessing in disguise as: 1) it'd almost certainly prevent another distraction from their dealing with their trade deficit; 2) it exposes in front of the world stage the States' enemies (the government's of China and Russia) for the war criminals that they are.

You also forgot Britain and France too when you talked about the American monoply over the U.N. veto thing. Not surprising though as one doesn't come to expect much from internet pro-genocidal thugs.

While people are murdered in Syria every day- yes Bebert, a real victory.

America doesn't have a monopoly over the U.N. veto. Good to see them tasting the same bitter pill they have forced everyone else to swallow over the decades, especially on issues regarding Israel.

I'm sure that the Sunni majority in Syria is itching to get the Alawite Assad tossed out of office. This is as much a religious issue as it is an uprising against a dictator. So, on one hand, Russia is correct in saying that there is more to this than a simple ouster of a dictator. But, on the other hand, Russia loves to meddle (as does China) and both are worried that real democracy will take hold in Russia and China. Life is always complicated.

The hacker group "Anonymous" released a huge batch of emails found on computers in the Syrian foreign ministry but among them was one they probably meant to redact :

" In one of the leaked emails, Ja'Afari outlines for another aide her coaching tips to Assad in preparation for an interview that occurred on ABC with Barbara Walters last December. Ja'Afari , who is also the daughter of Syrian Ambassador to the UN, advises that "the American psyche can be easily manipulated"and that he[Assad] should "prey on liberal guilt" she also invoked the police response to the Occupy protests as an analogy. "

So... Russia, what should they have done, given what's going on in Syria? It's clear that Russia and China went against the rest of the UN solely due to vested interests (like arms sales) to Syria, so I don't think they really stand on solid ground to criticize.

The Russians are right on this one, the West just loves to meddle in other people's affairs and later complain about the unintended consequences.

Agreed, I seriously doubt anyone is "itching" to join this conflict. More likely just wanting to see the slaughter stopped. Inaction has just as much blowback potential as action. Imagine the hostility a new Syrian state may have after tens of thousands are killed in a needless civil war or in continued repression.

The world can and should tell Assad to stop harming people or face the consequences. He has to have been watching Libya and other states who failed to heed such warnings. For now he is banking on inaction. And that has to change.

Actually I really do not think Western leaders are itching to get involved in Syria. They probably hate the accusations of inaction and pleas for help, but they truly do not know how to read the situation. Extreme reluctance to get invoved sounds better.

It is amazing to see how Obama, Sarkozy, and other Western leaders are itching to get once again involved in an internal conflict in an Arab country, with the predictable disastrous results.

Much as I dislike Putin, but in this case he is right.

jforce: Is it so bad to negotiate? It would be foolish to run headfirst into another conflict, almost bullish by the west, in an area that needs to sort out it's own messes.

Russia is selling arms to the Syrian government as we speak. Not really what I would call "negotiation" or "sorting our ones own mess."

Jforce. "Russia and China follow a strict non-interference policy"

You mean like Russia and the Ukraine? Or Russia and Georgia? Or Russia and Chechniya?

And you mean China and the Uyghur Autnonimous Zone? And China and Tibet? And China and idigenious authomomy zones? Or China and pressure on the Philippines? Or China and inteference in Japanese waters? Or China and her pressure upon Taiwan?

Do please study your recent history before making bold incorrect assertions about two states with long track records of focused interference, politcal bullying, election rigging, leveraging of the word terrorism to crush unpopularl political movements, repression of the media and violations of human rights.

Get your facts straight mate!

Is it so bad to negotiate? It would be foolish to run headfirst into another conflict, almost bullish by the west, in an area that needs to sort out it's own messes. Russia and China follow a strict non-interference policy and it is this policy that the world needs to counter the west's impatience. It gets spun that Russia is the bad guy here all the time, but how many countries has Russia invaded in the past 15 years? I'm not Pro-Putin at all, but when you start sticking your nose in other people's business it's just bad business.

The Russians see Syria as a potential mirror of their own political future. Putin clearly screwed the recent election in his favor and has been a defacto dictator for some time now. When he looks at Syria he sees his own people rising against a totalitarian government and it scares the hell out of him.

That is why Russia has put so much energy into pro-government popular groups and worked so hard to marginalize anyone who is a potential threat to Putin's will, the previous president included.

So nothing that Russia says about Syria can be taken at face value. It is all driven by Russia's own internal concerns.

Ba'ath should take a bath