UPDATE - Russia nixes US-draft Security Council Syria resolution

ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Russia vetoed a UN Security Council draft text Tuesday that would have established a new expert body to determine culpability for a suspected chemical attack in Syria.

The U.S. draft had the overwhelming support of the council with 12 members of the 15-member council voting in favor, and only two -- Russia and Bolivia -- voting against. China abstained.

Nikki Haley, the U.S.' UN envoy, ripped Moscow shortly after the vote concluded, saying it had “trashed the credibility of the council."

"The votes have been cast. The record will show that today some countries decided to stand up for truth," Haley said.

"The record will not be kind to one permanent member of this council."

Tuesday's veto is Russia's twelfth of council resolutions seeking to hold the Assad regime accountable for rights violations.

An alleged chemical attack outside of Damascus Saturday night killed dozens of people and injured hundreds of others.

The White Helmets, a civil defense agency, blamed the Syrian regime for the attack in Eastern Ghouta's Douma, which it said killed 78 civilians and injured hundreds of others.

-Trump mulling action

Following the vote on the U.S.-drafted resolution, a Russian-drafted text failed to get the needed votes to pass the council. Unlike the U.S. measure, the Russian text would not have sought to assign blame for the attack, but would have rather simply sought to determine if a chemical attack took place. In all, seven members voted against the Russian draft, with six voting in favor.

A third vote on a separate Russian resolution was delayed after Sweden moved to temporarily suspend proceedings.

Tuesday's flurry of diplomatic activity at the United Nations comes as U.S. President Donald Trump weighs military action against the Assad regime. He vowed Monday to take action within two days, saying the public would "probably" be made aware of any retaliation "after the fact."

Trump vowed anyone responsible for the attack, including Russia, will "pay a price," and has cancelled a planned trip to Latin America to oversee the U.S. response.

"If it’s the Russians, if it’s Syria, if it’s Iran, if it’s all of them together, we’ll figure it out.”

*Betul Yuruk contributed to this report from the United Nations