Image: New York Times

ALYSSA CARTEE

The United States, United Kingdom and France are not backing down when it comes to finding a way to remove Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russia and China vetoed a vote at the UN Security Council to implement a plan designed by the Arab League that would have done just that.

Russia defended its veto, saying the plan had no consideration for armed opposition groups. But Euronews reports there may have been other motivating factors.

“Syria hosts a Russian Naval base and arms trade between Moscow and Damascus is worth 3.8 billion Euros.”

But the three remaining nations in the coalition say they will not give up on the Syrian people. The Guardian reports British Foreign Secretary …

“William Hague has described the Syrian regime as ‘doomed’ and ‘murdering’ and warned that the country is moving closer to an all-out civil war... .”

And Bloomberg says …

“The U.S. will “redouble efforts” with partners outside the United Nations to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end violence and step down, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.”

President Nicolas Sarkozy says France is in touch with Arab and European partners to create a “Friends of the Syrian People Group” that would marshal international support to implement the Arab League plan.  A politics professor in Beirut told the Christian Science Monitor keeping up the fight will cost the countries involved.

“... there would be an increase of diplomatic pressure on Russia and China to reverse its backing for Syria which would likely require even greater concessions from the US, Europe, and the Arab world.”

An analyst told MSNBC, in spite of the apparent setback, the proposed plan itself is a sign of progress in the region.

“And that is historic because a year ago, if you had said the Arab League is gonna call for a fellow Arab ruler to step down, people would’ve said you were hallucinating.”

But a blogger for Slate writes the real problem is not China and Russia, it’s the system’s set-up.

“This veto power – far more than the theater of the absurd that is the General Assembly – do more to undermine the institution than any other single factor.”

The violence is not limited to Syria’s borders. Seven Syrian embassies around the world were attacked.

“The protesters are upset about the brutal crack down on the uprising in Syria. Australia, London and Cairo are among the places where the embassies were trashed.”

Violence continues to escalate in Syria. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 22 people were killed Sunday including a 14-year-old child.