UN Condemns Syrian Assault

The UN General Assembly gave Syria a fierce, albeit entirely symbolic, rebuke today for the violent crackdown on dissent that has plunged the country into a civil war. The Assembly voted 133-12 in favor of a resolution condemning the violence, with 31 abstaining, the AP reports. "The conflict in Syria is a test of everything this organization stands for," Ban Ki-Moon said. Referencing the current fighting in Aleppo, he added, "The acts of brutality that are being reported may constitute crimes against humanity or war crimes."

The vote means little, however, without Security Council action, and Russia and China have blocked all attempts there. Indeed, today's resolution includes a section "deploring the Security Council failure" to act. Unsurprisingly, Russia and China each voted against the resolution. "The draft resolution will have no impact whatsoever," Syria's ambassador told reporters. "It is a piece of theater." (More Syria stories.)