Turkey promises sanctions on Damascus UNITED NATIONS — The double veto by Moscow and Beijing infuriated Western powers which have already imposed their own sanctions on Syria and were trying to pave the way for a UN embargo, and will reinforce Assad's hold on power — at least in the short term. The United States and Britain expressed “outrage” at the UN Security Council's failure Tuesday to pass a resolution condemning the Syrian government's crackdown on opposition protests. US ambassador Susan Rice demanded “tough, targeted sanctions” by the international community against President Bashar Al-Assad over the deadly repression on opponents. “The United States is outraged that this council has utterly failed to address an urgent moral challenge and a growing threat to regional peace and security,” said Rice after Russia and China vetoed a resolution that threatened possible measures against Syria. Rice condemned opponents of the resolution on the 15-member council who she said “would rather sell arms to the Syrian regime.” “Today two members have vetoed a vastly watered down text that doesn't even mention sanctions,” she told the council. “Let me be clear the US believes it is past time that this council assumed its responsibilities and imposed tough targeted sanctions and an arms embargo on the Assad regime.” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Wednesday a decision by Russia and China to veto a UN Security Council resolution targeting Syria was “deeply mistaken and regrettable”. “The decision of Russia and China to veto this resolution, and to side with a brutal regime rather than with the people of Syria, is deeply mistaken and regrettable,” he told his Conservative party's conference in Manchester, northwest England. “We will redouble our efforts to work with other nations to increase the pressure on the regime wherever we can, and we assure the people of Syria that they will not be forgotten.” France have also attacked the decision by Moscow and Beijing, both veto-wielding permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, to kill the European resolution Tuesday. “This is a sad day for the Syrian people. It's a sad day for the Security Council,” France's Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said, adding that France would continue to support the “just cause” of Syrians he said were fighting for freedom. The resolution, drawn up by France, with Britain, Germany and Portugal, had called for “targeted measures” if Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's regime continues its crackdown on protesters, which the UN says has left at least 2,700 people dead. Nine countries voted in favour of the resolution, which was tabled after nearly six months of negotiations. Russia's ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Moscow rejected the threat of sanctions on Syria and China's envoy Li Baodong said Beijing opposed “interference in (Syria's) internal affairs”. Moscow had voiced concern that the resolution could have pave the way for a Libya-style military intervention. Russia and China both want to limit Western influence in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Turkey said Wednesday it would impose sanctions on Syria despite the blocking of any UN measures against President Bashar Al-Assad for his violent crackdown on dissent. “Naturally the veto...cannot prevent sanctions,” Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said. “We will of necessity implement a package of sanctions.” Erdogan, who is visiting South Africa, has said he will announce the package after he visits a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey in the next few days. The US ambassador to Beirut has urged Lebanese authorities to protect members of Syria's opposition residing in the country, following reports some are being hunted down and sent back to Syria. Maura Connelly made the appeal in a meeting Tuesday with Defence Minister Fayez Ghosn. “Ambassador Connelly emphasized the importance the United States places on the Lebanese Armed Forces' role in protecting members of the Syrian opposition residing in Lebanon, as one of Lebanon's international legal obligations,” the embassy said in a statement. A number of Syrian opposition members have sought refuge in Lebanon since the outbreak of the revolt against the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad in March. Russia to host meeting with opposition council Russia will receive a delegation from Syria's opposition council in the foreign ministry in October, ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Wednesday. “In October we intend to receive in Moscow two Syrian opposition delegations: one from the domestic wing of the opposition based in Damascus, and the second from those who declared the so-called national council,” Lukashevich told journalists in televised remarks. Although officially invited to attend a public function, they “will be received at the foreign ministry”, Lukashevich said without revealing the exact date of the visit. Russia has proposed an alternative resolution, which condemns the opposition violence as well as that of the government and calls for dialogue to end the crisis.
