Diplomatic Rift over China and Russia Veto on Syria Resolution

On Saturday, Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council Resolution which would have condemned Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. A proposed draft called for Assad to step down over the many deaths his regime has caused in an ongoing crackdown against peaceful protestors. The veto from Russia and China, however, prevents any formal action from taking place under the auspices of the UN Security Council. The vetoes have been widely condemned in the West, with the German ambassador to the UN calling the move "despicable," and the US government calling it a "travesty." All 13 current Security Council members but Russia and China voted for the resolution, which happened to coincide with the bloodiest single day so far of the Syrian uprising. The Assad government is believed to have killed hundreds of its own citizens over the past weekend alone.