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Mr. Assad’s cruelty and blindness were predictable. What is unfathomable is why Russia and China continue to protect him. They have blocked the Security Council from imposing any sanctions. Even now, Russian officials put much of the blame for the bloodshed on the fractured, mostly peaceful opposition forces, not the Syrian Army with its heavy weapons.
Russia sells arms to Syria and uses its Mediterranean port of Tartus. And after the events in Libya, both Russia and China seem determined to deny the West another “win,” so they keep hanging on to Mr. Assad. At this point it should be clear that for the sake of a pointless geopolitical game, both countries are further tarnishing their global reputations. They are alienating governments and people throughout the region. And when Mr. Assad falls — and he will — the people of Syria will blame them for their complicity in this bloodbath.
Their enabling just gives Mr. Assad more time to kill — the death toll exceeds 9,000 — and makes a wider war more likely. (Iran is also an Assad enabler but has long stood outside the norms of international probity.)
Eight months ago, President Obama said “the time has come for President Assad to step aside.” The international community is still scrambling to find a way to make that happen. There are no easy solutions. The place to start is to push Moscow and Beijing to cut their losses.
The best approach would be a United Nations arms embargo and the toughest possible economic sanctions — if China and Russia will not block the Council. On Friday, Russia was still opposing a European proposal for even minimal penalties like a travel ban and an asset freeze.
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