Local Editor

Russia accused the United States of filibustering a United Nations' Security Council statement condemning the intensified "Israeli" aggression against the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

In this context, Russia's envoy to the UN, Vitaly Churkin said on Monday that Washington was hindering efforts aimed at issuance of a condemnatory statement by the UN, saying Moscow was prepared to propose a full-council resolution against the aggression.
"To me it unfortunately looked like a little bit of a filibuster attempt," Churkin told reporters after new round of talks among the 15-nation council.
The Russian envoy also warned that Moscow would propose the full-council resolution if a statement calling for an end to the aggression was not agreed upon by Wednesday morning.

This comes after the US accompanied by Britain, France and Germany refused a text proposed by Arab nations last Thursday over Gaza.
Meanwhile, Palestinian envoy to the international boday, Riyad Mansour, highlighted the growing frustration of the Palestinian Authority and its allies as the fighting intensifies and the council says nothing.
"The Security Council cannot remain on the margin," he told reporters, and noted that "it was now urgent for the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility and stop this aggression against our people."

For her part, the US envoy Susan Rice said that Washington would not allow a UN statement denouncing the atrocities.
"The US and countries in the region are working energetically through all diplomatic channels to try to negotiate an end to the violence, a de-escalation," Rice claimed.
She also said that the US administration opposes any move, which undermined, what she claimed were, efforts aimed at bringing about a ceasefire.
The US ambassador would seek instructions from her administration on the Arab text during the night, but she commented: "Again we will judge the draft as to whether it advances the goal of supporting an agreed cessation."

The UN statement was proposed by Morocco, the representative of Arab countries on the 15-nation council.
According to a copy obtained by Agence France Presse, the resolution would call for a cessation of violence, support for Egyptian-led efforts to secure a ceasefire and encourage "Israel" and the Palestinian Authority to resume their frozen so-called peace talks.
In this context, diplomats predicted that "if the Russian resolution was put to a vote it would be vetoed by the United States, which systematically blocks resolutions seen to be critical of "Israel"."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org