Without the UN: What Now in Syria?

Thanks in no small part to the self interested response by Russia and China to a rather watered down U.N. Security Council on Saturday, diplomacy is running out of steam over the conflict in Syria.

A lack of U.N. action will have the likely embolden Assad which will make the bloodshed in the streets even worse. Assad is now untouchable by the international community, meaning he will step up his repression efforts in the city of Hom.

It goes both ways though. Opposition forces knowing that the West is coming to the rescue, will become more violent in their actions as well.

Nothing looks promising right now. The U.N. has been effectively sidelined. The Arab League mission in Syria collapsed in November. Russia is expected to push for democratic reforms, but Assad is moving at a glacial pace to implement them.

Russia is clearly unwilling to press Assad to hard out of fear he’ll break or something. The ranks of the opposition FSA are swelling, but still don’t match the logistic or manpower of the Syrian army loyal to Assad.

Hope we all enjoy bloody carnage leading off our World News broadcasts because there’s more to come.