Amidst it all - a UN vote on Syria today.

Just a reminder that there is a pretty significant vote at the UN security council today on Syria. The resolution appears to call for economic sanctions(seizing/freezing assets) and immediate detention of anyone implicated in the Mehlis report on the death of Rafiq Hariri. I would also, "let investigators determine the location and conditions under which the individual would be questioned," giving the UN police powers within Syria.

One of the controversial items is the "stick" that if Syria does not freeze the assets or detain the individuals implicated in the Mehlis report, Syria as a country could be subject to semispecified "further measures." There has been some debate through the drafts as to whether these measures should be limited to a section of the UN code which details economic and diplomatic sanctions. Read the alternative there.

Still no statements from Russia and China as to whether they'd veto, but beyond them, the joint effort by the US, British, and French seems to have lined up enough votes. But the countries involved think this is a pretty big deal requiring negotiations at the highest level. This is not just a vote by the UN representatives.

Foreign ministers from almost all 15 council nations were expected to cast votes, a high-level presence that Washington and its allies hope will send a message to Damascus about the seriousness of international concern at its failure to cooperate in the probe of Rafik Hariri's assassination.


Update: it passed, but read this:

The three co-sponsors agreed to drop a direct threat of sanctions against Syria in order to get support from Russia and China, which opposed sanctions while the investigation is still under way. Nonetheless, the resolution was adopted under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, which is militarily enforceable.