Syria hails Russia, Chinese UN veto

DAMASCUS - Agence France-Presse

Demonstrators protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Binsh near Idlib February 3, 2012. . REUTERS Photo

An official Syrian newspaper on Sunday hailed the Russian and Chinese double veto of a draft UN Security Council resolution on the regime's crackdown, calling it a catalyst for the speeding up of reform.
 
The daily government mouthpiece Tishrin was the only Syrian paper to comment on the veto, which drew swift condemnation from world powers.
 
Tishrin called the veto "a catalyst that will enable Syria to accelerate reforms, organise a referendum on a new constitution, multi-party elections and the formation of a larger government that includes opposition movements." It said the veto would also "encourage certain countries to review their positions on the Syrian crisis," and demonstrate once again that "only Syria can resolve this crisis politically, shielded from all outside interference." The official SANA news agency said "scores of Syrians" gathered outside the Russian and Chinese embassies in Damascus after the resolution was blocked "in a show of appreciation of Russia and China's stances at the Security Council." Saturday's veto was the second time Moscow and Beijing have prevented a UN Security Council resolution on the crackdown by President Bashar al-Assad's regime on dissent, which has now lasted for nearly 11 months.
 
The two countries also used their power of veto to block a resolution last October.
 
Militants say that at least 6,000 people have been killed since the opposition to the regime erupted in mid-March last year.