Reaction to "United Nations fails to unite on Syria violence"(CBS News)

Unrest in Syria

Map of Syria and the middle east

As in many Middle Eastern and Northern African nations, there is a current situation of political unrest currently in the nation of Syria.








When fighting began between Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, the United Nations got involved. The United Nations Security Council approved a "no-fly zone" over Libya. As with all decisions made by the UN Security Council, it was unanimous (there were no "naye" votes).
However, as political unrest spread further throughout the region, a different tone has been taken by some. In Syria, when unrest began, the United States, European Union, and others immediately condemned the actions of the reigning government. However, when sanctions and other actions were being discussed at the UN Security Council, no action was taken. Usually, Security Council meetings are closed-door. However, since the Security Council wanted to send a message, they held an open-door meeting, where there was not a clear message, as Russia, Lebanon, and China were skeptical after the U.S. air strike on Libya in March. Although it is clear that the Syrian government is oppressing its citizens to the point that some people want the U.N. to prosecute the government for “Crimes Against Humanity”,  the UN cannot condemn actions or send in peacekeepers using the Security Council. They have asked for “urgent access to the southern city of Daraa in order to assess the humanitarian needs on the ground” , since the Syrian army is carrying out an operation in the city, firing at unarmed civilians, preventing medical personnel from helping the wounded, raiding mosques and arresting others. Even those these are clearly a violation of “understood” human rights and perhaps a violation of U.N. Human Rights code, no formal action is being taken. Even more shocking is that Syria is vying for a position on the U.N. Human Rights Council, for which elections are being held soon for. Although it is shocking that no action can be taken against Syria, it is part of what makes the UN a global platform, where all views are represented. Since there will always be differentiating views,  it will always be a struggle to get a unanimous decision, even if something clearly needs to be done.

Link to article: 
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20058190-503544.html