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King Abdullah blasts UN veto on Syria | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat- The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, today slammed the Russian and Chinese veto of a UN resolution on Syria, describing it as an “unfavourable” move.

Speaking in a televised address from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, the monarch said that, “We all used to take pride in the United Nations which used to bring us together and not divide us… but what took place does not augur well as world confidence in the United Nations has undoubtedly been shaken”.

Saudi Arabia and six other Gulf countries have pulled their ambassadors from Syria in protest of the Syrian regime’s crackdown against a popular uprising.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, led the Gulf in calling for an end to violence in Syria. Speaking from Riyadh in August last year, the Saudi monarch called on Syria to “stop the killing machine and the bloodshed…before it is too late.”

King Abdullah also stressed that the violent suppression being carried out by the al-Assad government had “nothing to do with religion, or values, or ethics.”

The Saudi monarch said “The Kingdom does not accept the situation in Syria because the developments cannot be justified” adding “the future of Syria lies between two options: either Syria chooses willingly to resort to reason, or face being swept into deep chaos, God forbid.”