United Nations: The United States has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at condemning an Israeli military strike in the Gaza Strip and seek withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory.
The draft resolution supported by 10 of the 15 Security Council members would have called for a United Nations fact-finding mission to investigate the recent Israeli operation in Gaza, which resulted in 19 deaths.
The US argued that it was "biased against Israel and politically motivated".
Britain, Denmark, Japan and Slovakia abstained on the Qatar sponsored draft, which also called for immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza strip and cessation of violence by both parties. A resolution requires nine votes with no veto to be adopted.
Besides, it would have asked the Secretary-General to establish the fact-finding mission within 30 days on the November 8 Israeli action in Beit Hanoun.
American Ambassador John Bolton joined other council members in voicing deep regret over the incident but said the Israeli authorities had admitted that it was a mistake and intended to hold an investigation.
The draft resolution would have called on the diplomatic Quartet – made up of the UN, United States, European Union and Russian Federation – to take immediate steps to stabilize the situation, including through the possible establishment of an "international mechanism for the protection of the civilian populations."
This was second veto by the US to block criticism of Israel over action in the Gaza and came hours before beginning of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visit to Washington to hold discussions with President George W Bush.
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