NICOLAS REVISE | AP ARABNEWS

Sunday 22 July 2012

After the Russian and Chinese veto of a UN resolution on Syria, America must use back channels to bolster its support for rebel forces as US military involvement is not an option, analysts said.

Although the conflict is intensifying, Moscow and Beijing opted Thursday to oppose for the third time a UN Security Council proposal that could have placed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime.

The rejection angered the West and prompted the United States to state that it would now act outside of the council to confront Assad, although Russia insists such action would undermine the authority of the UN.

Experts, however, believe US support from behind the scenes is the only way to place the necessary pressure on Assad that could ultimately deliver the democratic transition that Washington and other Western nations seek in Syria.

“The US and other key actors need to step up their covert support for the opposition,” said Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center.

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NOTE BY THE EDITOR: What is the use of the UN, one wonders. We ‘use them’ if we can, otherwise we do what we like and ignore them.