The 15-member council includes five permanent members with veto power — the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France — and 10 nonpermanent members elected for two-year terms. After the vote, Saudi Arabia`s U.N.
Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said his country`s election was "a reflection of a longstanding policy in support of moderation and in support of resolving disputes by peaceful means."
But the statement from Riyadh on Friday struck a dramatically different tone. "Allowing the ruling regime in Syria to kill its people and burn them with chemical weapons in front of the entire world and without any deterrent or punishment is clear proof and evidence of the U.N. Security Council`s inability to perform its duties and shoulder its responsibilities," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said his country`s election was "a reflection of a longstanding policy in support of moderation and in support of resolving disputes by peaceful means."
But the statement from Riyadh on Friday struck a dramatically different tone. "Allowing the ruling regime in Syria to kill its people and burn them with chemical weapons in front of the entire world and without any deterrent or punishment is clear proof and evidence of the U.N. Security Council`s inability to perform its duties and shoulder its responsibilities," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
