The friction filled draft resolutions proposed by the Russia and US to set up an expert body to probe chemical weapons attacks in Syria have failed to pass at the United Nations Security Council.
The votes came on Tuesday amid the war of words between US and Russia and a looming threat of a western military action against Syria after a report of suspected gas attack on the Syrian rebel-town of Dauma on Saturday.
The US draft for creating a mechanism along with the authority to assign blame for chemical attacks in Syria, the was vetoed by Russia at first.
Among the voters were twelve council members and Bolivia joined Russia by voting against the draft. Meanwhile, China abstained from voting.
Any resolution that needs to be passed requires 9 voters in favour and no vetoes from the five permanent members, namely, the Russia, the China, France, Britain or the United States.
“Russia contended it could not support the US proposal because it believed that it would lead to bias, and that it was aimed at undercutting what Moscow says is the democratically elected Syrian government,” said Mike Hanna, reporting from the UN headquarters in New York.
Russia has used its veto power time and again to block action against the government of Syrian President Bashar Al Asad and this was its 12th time to use veto power for such purpose.
Later, a rival Russian bid to create a new inquiry also failed after the proposed resolution received only six votes in favor.
Seven members voted against the resolution and two abstained.
“Moscow proposals had been around for a number of months now, but had never gained traction,” said Hanna.
He also noted that those who were opposing it believed that the proposed mechanism “would not be independent”, as its members would have been definitely appointed by Russia, and that “the body itself would not be able to apportion blame or identify perpetrators”.
The Russian draft would have mandated investigators to report to the Security Council, which could then ascertain the actual responsibility.
Syria’s government and Russia have denied any type of chemical attack took place in Douma, but rescuers and medics said that many a dozens of people, which includes many women and children, were killed.
The US has threatened of a military action in response to the attack, while Russia has warned of “grave repercussions” if military action against Syria is launched.
Addressing the Security Council, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, said the Washington-drafted resolution ” is the bare minimum that the council can do to respond to the attack”.
Her Russian counterpart, Vassily Nebenzia, hit back by saying: “Why do you need this mechanism when you have already appointed the guilty party before the investigation?”
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