On
Syria,
Churkin
Telegraphs
Veto, Araud
Sad, Mood Out,
Ban 16 Hours
Behind
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July 19,
updated -- As
Ambassadors
filed into the
Security
Council
Thursday
morning for
votes on
Cyprus and
then the big
one on Syria,
Vitaly Churkin
and Bashar
Ja'afari
quipped,
Gerard Araud
stopped to
express
sadness, and
Susan Rice
smiled and
shrugged but
said nothing.
Churkin
of Russia
was asked if
he would veto.
He said, If
you see all 15
hands up, the
vote is on
Cyprus, not
Syria
Ja'afari
simply said
to the media
throng, What a
beautiful
crowd, what's
going on?
Araud
stopped
to say, with
some drama,
that he is
"sad" and
expects -
"knows" -
there will be
two vetoes.
US
Ambassador
Susan Rice was
asked the same
question but
shrugged, with
a smile that
looked wry --
unlike
Wednesday
afternoon's
grim faced
entrance to a
meeting with
Araud and the
UK's Mark
Lyall Grant.
Thursday
morning
numerous
journalists
were thrown
off by an
e-mail from
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesperson's
office, that
Ban took note
of
the Security
Council's
decision to
delay. Since
the decision
was made
16 hours
earlier, some
thought Ban
was alerting
to a new
delay. But
now: simple
several news
cycles behind.
In
Damascus
General Robert
Mood held his
"last" press
conference,
confirming he
is leaving as
Inner City
Press first
reported on
June 29. A day
of
transitions.
Watch this
site.
Update
of 10:50 am --
the UK tabled
resolution
drew vetoes
from Russia
and China, and
abstentions
from Pakistan
and South
Africa. Story
soon.
, 
