The votes on the UN Syrian resolution.

[tabatha]

http://twitdoc.com/view.asp?id=37644&sid=T1O&ext=PDF&lcl=Voting-record.pdf&usr=denisfitz&doc=81876070&key=key-25zraqj56g0fh4nboyxa

[Angleae]

1. The 12 no votes and 17 abstaining countries are

Voting NO
Belarus
Bolivia
China
Cuba
Ecuador
Iran
N Korea
Nicaragua
Russia
Syria
Venezuela
Zimbabwe

Abstained
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Cameroon
Comoros
Fiji
Lebanon
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Sri Lanka
St Vincent
Suriname
Tanzania
Tuvalu
Uganda
Vietnam

[pampango]

2. Juan Cole: General Assembly Condemns Syria as Regime Bombards Homs Again

The world condemned the Syria regime’s brutal crackdown on its own people at the UN General Assembly on Thursday. What would be the response of the ruling Baath Party? We didn’t have to wait long to find out.

On Friday morning, the Syrian armed forces subjected Baba Amr in Homs to one of the fiercest bombardments yet in the 14-day-old regime attempt to take back control of the rebellious city. Some observers allege that at the same time the regime’s hold on the north of the country has weakened. Revolutionaries appear also to have taken control of much of the city of Idlib.

At the UN, the Arab League presented a Saudi Arabian-crafted statement on Syria to the General Assembly. It condemned the state’s crackdown, which has cost thousands of civilian lives Of 193 nations, 137 voted in favor the resolution condemning the ruling Baath regime. Only 12 opposed, including Russia, China, Iran and Latin American friends of Iran, including Venezuela and Ecuador. (Venezuela is pledged to deliver oil to Syria at a time that it is facing economic sanctions and boycotts in other quarters.). The rest of the nations were absent or abstained.

The General Assembly vote was pursued by the Arab League out of knowledge that Russia and China would veto any strong censure at the level of the Security Council, as happened recently. Russia and China have trade interests in Baathist Syria, and also dislike the very idea of outside interference when putting down a popular revolt.

http://www.juancole.com/2012/02/general-assembly-condemns-syria-as-regime-bombards-homs-again.html