US slams Russia, China for failure to condemn embassy attack

UNITED NATIONS — The United States on Monday slammed Russia and China for their failure to condemn an attack last week on its Baghdad embassy by pro-Iranian demonstrators. 

While congratulating the 27 of the 193 member nations that did issue statements condemning the December 31 attempt to storm the compound, the US mission to the UN said that Russian and Chinese silence undermined the Security Council.

"Not allowing the United Nations Security Council to issue the most basic of statements underscoring the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises once again calls the council's credibility into question," the US statement said.

Washington said that voicing support for the 1961 Vienna convention that protects diplomatic missions "should not be controversial or warrant courage”.

"As we have demonstrated, we will not tolerate attacks on US personnel and facilities and will respond decisively to protect our interests, citizens and allies," it added.

The attack on the Baghdad embassy, which did not result in any injuries, was meant to protest against a US airstrike against Ketaeb Hizbollah (KH), an Iranian-backed militia which the US had blamed for rocket attacks on its facilities in northern Iraq that resulted in the death of a US contractor. 

President Donald Trump responded to the attack on the embassy by ordering a drone strike in Baghdad that killed one of Iran's top military commanders, Qasem Soleimani, and the head of the KH militia.

UN sources said on Monday that no country had so far called for a Security Council meeting to address the soaring tensions that the attacks have triggered in the Middle East.