NEW YORK: China and Russia vetoed the United Nations Security Council resolution seeking imposition of sanctions on the Syrian government over the alleged use of chemical weapons against rebels.
It is the seventh time Russia has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to protect the Syrian regime. UN and international watchdogs have found that Syrian government forces carried out at least three chemical weapons attack against the rebels in 2014 and 2015.
Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad dropped chlorine gas on rebel-held areas. Chlorine irritates people’s eyes, skin and can burn the lungs. The use of Chlorine as a weapon is prohibited under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.
The resolution was tabled by the US, UK and France in the Security Council. Nine Security Council members supported the resolution and three (China, Russia and Bolivia) opposed it.
