“With the Chinese and Russian vetoes, the Security Council has turned its back on the Syrian people,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris. “Tragically, the Assad regime will conclude from this disgraceful abandonment of international responsibility that it has carte blanche to continue its violent campaign.”

More than 2,900 have been killed, according to the UN, since the uprising began in March, and thousands more have been detained.

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice appropriately expressed outrage over the Security Council failure to pass the resolution Tuesday.

“This council has squandered an opportunity to shoulder its responsibilities to the Syrian people,” said Ambassador Rice. "This is about whether this council, during a time of sweeping change in the Middle East, will stand with peaceful protesters crying out for freedom, or with a regime of thugs with guns that tramples human dignity and human rights.”

Nine of the council’s 15 members voted in favor of the resolution, while four abstained – Brazil, India, Lebanon and South Africa.

The U.S., together with Britain, France, Germany and Portugal, had agreed to remove any specific calls for sanctions, in an effort to gain the support of Russia and China. But the two powers stood firm in blocking, as they have for months, any Security Council action against Syria.

AJC has applauded in recent weeks U.S. and EU calls for Assad to step down, as well as economic sanctions to bring pressure on the regime to stop its deadly repression.

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