Russia and China on Tuesday vetoed a Western-backed UN resolution that would have imposed sanctions on Syria over chemical weapons use, as peace talks in Geneva showed no signs of progress on ending the nearly six-year war.
The Security Council resolution drafted by Britain, France and the United States won nine votes in favor while three countries opposed it -- China, Russia and Bolivia. Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and Egypt abstained.
Yeah, I never had and hope that Russia or China would allow any retribution against Assad for his use of chemical weapons.
Heck, I called this one on the day the chemical deal was announced, complete with my expectation that Syria would continue to use dual-use chemicals as weapons.
Nor do I have much hope that Russia or China would allow any retribution against the mullah-run Iranian government should we gather up the proof that Iran has violated the Iran deal. Russia and China are criminal defense attorneys for the usual suspects.
Ah, the Sainted International Community.
UPDATE: American-backed rebels who fight ISIL have cut off Raqqa's main lines of communication:
U.S.-backed Syrian militias cut the last main road out of Islamic State-held Raqqa on Monday, severing the highway between the group's de facto capital and its stronghold of Deir al-Zor province, a militia spokesman said.
Will ISIL make a renewed effort to take Deir al-Zor as an alternate capital?
And with the Russian- and Iranian-backed Assad forces pushing east, how will we react when Assad's forces come in contact with our anti-ISIL rebels?
So far, Russia has focused on non-ISIL rebels in the west while America led allies against ISIL in the east, as a de facto ally of Assad.
But what happens when the Assad forces come in contact with rebels who right now we only support to go after ISIL?
Do we let Assad butcher or arrest these rebels?
Or do we go back to the anti-Assad position we once had when then-President Obama said early in the revolt that Assad had to step down and when Secretary of State Kerry likened Assad to Genghis Khan and Hitler?
