The Daily Star Editorial

The United Nations Security Council vote on Syria has been greeted by a storm of reactions, most importantly from Western countries and elements of the Syrian public.
Russia and China wielded the veto to block a draft resolution that would have authorized the taking of new steps against the authorities in Damascus, while four countries, including Lebanon, opted to abstain.

The reasons for the abstaining votes are clear enough, but the no votes by Moscow and Beijing are being assailed in various ways. Critics should remember that the vetoes were used for nakedly political reasons. Russia and China are vying with Western powers for influence in this part of the world; apparently they believe that they have something to gain by protecting the Syrian government, for now, from further punishment for its behavior against civilian demonstrators.
Russia is justifying its vote by saying that such a resolution could lead to further deterioration in Syria, and a slide toward civil war. But even if Russia had voted the other way, it would not have been acting out of concern for the interests of the Syrian people.

In political terms, the no votes by Russia and China have done nothing to contribute to a solution to the unrest in Syria.

France says the West will find new ways to punish Damascus, by skirting the U.N. Security Council, and Turkey is making the same pledge. Whether or not the Syrian leadership wants to admit it, some form of new punishment is on the way.

Meanwhile, Russia’s efforts to facilitate dialogue between Syrian leaders and the opposition are a joke; after six months of unrest, there is no evidence that Syrian officials are serious when they say they want to talk, and reform. Instead, they are hell-bent on pursuing their “security” approach, which is only resulting in death and destruction.
China and Russia could have joined hands and made it clear to the Syrian regime that the international community was serious that the violence had to stop.

Meanwhile, the protest movement will continue, and masses of Syrians will feel let down once again by the international community; the Security Vote will buttress the argument that violence should be used against Syrian military and security personnel, as the self-fulfilling prophecy of a civil war becomes true.

The vote allows both sides to dig in and promote their hard-line positions. Some type of escalation will follow and the Syrian people will be the biggest losers, even though Russia and China have said their latest move on the Security Council is about protecting the Syrian people. Their no votes might give Damascus a few days to claim victory, but further economic and financial measures targeting Syrian firms and figures are likely to follow. And the Syrian street’s resentment toward Russia and China is growing by leaps and bounds.