US drawing up new UN resolution on Syria

UNITED NATIONS – The United States is drawing up a new draft UN Security Council resolution on Syria demanding humanitarian access to protest cities where thousands have been killed, diplomats said.

If put to a vote it would be the third time Western nations have tried to get a Security Council resolution on the 11 month old crisis.

Britain, France and Germany, with Arab support, took the lead on the last two resolutions, which were vetoed by Russia and China.

"This resolution will concentrate on humanitarian access to the cities, but it will indicate that the government is the cause of the crisis," one diplomat said.

"At the moment there are just tentative contacts on the resolution," another Security Council diplomat said, confirming work on the outline. "It has not been sent to the whole council and we don't know when this will happen."

The United Nations says that more than 7,500 people have been killed in Syria since the eruption nearly one year ago of popular protests against the Assad family's 40-year reign.

Western nations hope that focusing on the humanitarian crisis will persuade Russia and China not to use their powers as permanent members of the 15-member council to veto any resolution.

The two powers blocked the last two attempts, saying the resolutions were aimed only at overthrowing Syrian President Bashar al-assad.