Boom.
This is how you call out atrocities.
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley went epic with her condemnation of Tuesday’s gas attack on civilians in Syria, as well as Russia’s protection of the Assad regime.
Haley’s remarks came during a special session of the U.N. Security Council, as they took up a resolution that condemned the attack, which resulted in the deaths of 70 Syrian civilians.
Said Haley, as she held up pictures of children stricken by the attack:
“Russia has shielded Assad from U.N. sanctions. If Russia has the influence in Syria that it claims it has, we need to see them use it,” Haley said at an emergency meeting of the council. “We need to see them put an end to these horrific acts. How many more children have to die before Russia cares?”
The resolution was introduced by the U.S., France, and the United Kingdom, and not only condemned the attack, but called for an investigation, as well.
Russia was pretty much the target of those who spoke, since they’re the ones keeping a protective cover over Assad.
“History will judge all of us in how we respond to these unforgettable and unforgivable images of the innocent,” U.K. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said. “How long are we going to sit here and pretend that actions in these chambers have no consequences?”
Of the 15 Security Council members, there are 5 who are permanent members – U.S., France, Britain, China, and Russia.
When a resolution is introduced, all five permanent members must agree, in order to pass that resolution. If even one vetoes, the measure is dead.
See the problem?
Haley went on:
“We don’t yet know everything about yesterday’s attack. But there are many things we do know,” she said. “We know that yesterday’s attacks bears all the hallmarks of the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons. We know that Assad has used these weapons against the Syrian people before.”
Russia’s ambassador, Sergey Kononuchenko, blamed the attack on former President Obama and that dumb “red line” statement.
“Crossing those red lines was supposed to lead to military intervention in the Syrian conflict,” Kononuchenko said, echoing a talking point used Tuesday by President Trump. “That decision served as a starting point for future provocations by terrorists and extremist structures with the use of chemical weapons.”
“They sought to discredit the official Damascus regime and to create a pretext for the use of military force against a sovereign state,” he added.
The Trump administration has backed off of any real push to have Assad removed, including Haley.
What will be done needs to have coalition support and the U.N.’s backing, but given that Russia must agree to sanctions, the chances for justice are looking rather weak.
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