Tag: Security Council

Western and Arab efforts to pass forceful Security Council resolution hampered by Russia.

The Arab League suspended its observer mission Sunday after government violence this weekend resulted in the deaths of approximately 200 civilians.

The Arab League decision comes in the wake of the uptick in government violence over the weekend.

Russia opposes sanctions and military intervention against Syrian regime.

WASHINGTON - The path to international recognition of Palestinian statehood by September - when the Palestinians plan to bring the matter before the UN General Assembly - seems clear.

So far, the UN fact-finding mission into last January's war in Gaza has spawned a 574-page report faulting Israel for war crimes, op-eds calling on foreign governments to hold Israel accountable - including one by the report's author - and strident denunciations of the findings by Israeli officials.

Following the first Gulf War, which left Saddam Hussein in power, most everyone outside of Hussein and his fellow travelers in the Arab world acknowledged the necessity of imposing sanctions against a Hussein-led Iraq to force him to disarm. Unfortunately, although the sanctions were aimed at Hussein, it was undeniable that the sanctions would also visit great suffering on the Iraqi population, especially since Hussein could be expected to - and did - divert whatever resources were available to himself and the effort to maintain his power.