MIDDLE EAST

Russia: No Syria Intervention

As Western countries rally against Assad.

While the rest of the international community is calling for Western intervention in Syria’s ongoing government crackdown, Russia has sided with President Bashar al-Assad and vowed to block any attempts at military intervention in the country. Russia’s foreign minister pledged his support in a news conference Wednesday, saying the rest of the international community “won’t get any authorization from the U.N. Security Council.” Western diplomats said Russia’s draft of a Security Council resolution fell short of the U.N.’s demands to condemn Assad. The Syrian president, making two public appearances in the last week, has lately displayed confidence that he can ride out the uprising with help from his small group of allies, including China and Iran. Meanwhile, protesters in Syria aren’t giving up, with activists reporting 10 dead in fresh clashes in Homs and the northwestern province of Idlib on Wednesday.