UK, France offer UN resolution condeming violations by Syria

Britain and France handed the UN Security Council a draft resolution on Wednesday condemning Syria's crackdown on protesters, despite the risk of a Russian veto.

The draft, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, condemns "systematic" human rights violations by Syrian authorities and says they may amount to crimes against humanity. But it also denounces violence against security forces. One diplomat said new amendments attempted to make the resolution look less like a prelude to further action such as the military intervention that NATO has conducted in Libya, which has angered Russia. (Reuters)