The U.N. Security Council Monday unanimously approved a resolution demanding that Syria cooperate with the U.N. investigation into the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister. The resolution requires Syria to arrest anyone the U.N. investigators consider a suspect and let investigators determine the location and conditions under which the individual would be questioned.
However, the Security Council members dropped the threat of sanctions in a last-minute move to get all 15 council nations to back the resolution. This came after Russia and China objected strongly to mentioning sanctions as proposed by the United States, Britain and France.
The new text, obtained by The Associated Press, said only that if Syria doesn't cooperate "the council, if necessary, could consider further action."
The three co-sponsors also agreed to drop an appeal to Syria to renounce all support "for all forms of terrorist action and all assistance to terrorist groups."
"Russia will do everything necessary to stop attempts to introduce sanctions against Syria," spokesman Mikhail Kalmynin told Interfax news agency before the vote.
