Strong words at U.N. after Syria veto

Rice: Blood on hands of China, Russia

United Nations (CNN) -- United Nations Security Council members used strong language Saturday after the council vetoed a resolution condemning Syria for human rights violations and attacks against its citizens. Here are some notable remarks:

-- U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice: "The United States is disgusted that a couple of members of this council continue to prevent us from fulfilling our sole purpose here -- addressing an ever-deepening crisis in Syria and a growing threat to regional peace and security. ... This intransigence is even more shameful when you consider that at least one of these members continues to deliver weapons to (Syrian President Bashar al-Assad)."

-- British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant: "The United Kingdom is appalled by the decision of Russia and China to veto an otherwise consensus resolution. ... Those who blocked council action today must ask themselves how many more deaths they will be prepared to tolerate."

Germany, UK decry vetoes on Syria

Russia, China defend Syria vetoes

China, Russia veto UN resolution on Syria

-- Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin: "Some influential members of the international community, unfortunately -- including those sitting around this table -- from the very beginning of the Syrian process have been undermining the opportunity for political settlement, calling for regime change, pushing the opposition toward power, and not stopping at provocation and feeding on methods of struggle."

-- French Ambassador Gerard Araud: "History will judge harshly those who have prevented the council from lending support to the efforts of the Arab League in order to carry out its plan. In so doing it, they have without scruple aligned themselves with a regime which is massacring its people."

-- Chinese Ambassador Li Baodong: "China maintains that under the current circumstances, to put undue pressure on the Syria government will not help resolve the Syrian issue."

-- Syrian Ambassador Bashar Jaafari: "The Syrian Arab Republic, which is a founding member of this world organization, has been targeted by some powers to punish it as a result of its commitment to international legality, especially in areas of defending the rights of people. Today, Syria is a sacrifice of a crisis manufactured by parties that do not want good for Syria and its people by support given by these parties, in terms of money, and arms, and favorable media coverage to armed terrorist groups that kill, abduct, and intimidate Syrian citizens, and destroying and sabotaging the infrastructure including power-generation equipment, oil and gas pipelines, premises of the ministry of justice, railroads."

Read more on the veto of U.N. action on Syria

-- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: "The Security Council has lost an opportunity to take unified action that could help end this crisis and forge a peaceful future, with democracy and dignity, for all of the Syrian people. All violence and human rights violations, especially those carried out by the Syrian authorities, must end immediately."

-- German Ambassador Peter Wittig: "This council should urge Assad to stop the killing. His regime has to put an immediate end to the violence. It has to stop the gross and systematic violation of human rights."

From outside the U.N.:

-- Amnesty International: "The decision by Russia and China to veto a weak draft U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria, the day after the Syrian army launched a major assault on residential areas of Homs leaving scores dead, is a shockingly callous betrayal of the people of Syria. ... It is staggering that they have blocked the passage of what was already a very weak draft resolution."

-- Human Rights Watch: "Vetoes by Moscow and Beijing four months ago were irresponsible. Today, after weeks of Russian diplomatic games-playing and in the middle of a bloodbath in Homs, they are simply incendiary. ... Vetoes by Russia and China are not only a slap in the face of the Arab League, they are also a betrayal of the Syrian people."

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