The United States proposed an international coalition to support Syria's opposition Sunday after Russia and China blocked a UN attempt to end nearly 11 months of bloodshed. Rebel soldiers said force was now the only way to oust President Bashar Al-Assad. Arab countries and Turkey joined the West in criticizing the Russian-Chinese veto of a UN Security Council resolution against the Syrian regime. The resolution would have expressed the Security Council's full support for an Arab League plan that would see Assad cede power to a deputy, withdraw troops from cities and make way for democracy. The resolution saw the United States and Europe allied with many of Syria's regional neighbors calling for stronger action. “Unfortunately, yesterday in the UN, the Cold War logic continues,” Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a security conference in Munich. “Russia and China did not vote based on the existing realities but more a reflexive attitude against the West. The veto power should not be used from this perspective.” The Arab League said it would continue to try to implement its plan despite the veto. The veto “does not negate that there is clear international support for the resolutions of the Arab League,” its Secretary General Nabil Al-Arabi said. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the world's largest Muslim body, said it was “deeply sorry” that the UN Security Council had failed to agree on a resolution condemning Syria's deadly crackdown on protests. It said in a statement it was “deeply sorry for the failure of the UN security Council to reach an agreement” after Russia and China vetoed the draft resolution on Saturday. The OIC “expressed the hope that the failure of the Security Council to reach a resolution over the Syrian crisis would not lead to more casualties,” warning that the country could “descend into civil war.” Susan Rice, US Ambassador to the United Nations, said she was “disgusted” by the vote, which came a day after activists say Syrian forces bombarded the city of Homs, killing more than 200 people in the worst night of bloodshed of the 11-month uprising. “Any further bloodshed that flows will be on their hands,” Ambassador Rice said after the Russian-Chinese veto. Tunisia urged the world to cut diplomatic ties with Syria. Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali said Moscow and Beijing's actions showed the veto system of the Security Council was flawed and said the two countries had “misused” their right to block the resolution against Syria.
