Late on Thursday, the US vetoed an Arab-sponsored UN Security Council resolution condemning the extra-judicial killing of Sheikh Yassin. Washington was alone among the major powers in not condemning the assassination of the wheelchair bound Hamas spiritual leader, indirectly authorizing continued Israeli aggression, with full immunity and impunity, and rendering itself complicit.

The resolution, sponsored by Algeria and Libya, garnered 11 tallies in favor, with Germany, Romania and the United Kingdom abstaining. The Algerian ambassador, Abdallah Baali, said that the Council vote "is not sending the right message to the world, which has unanimously condemned this crime." Mr. Baali said that he would meet with other Arab envoys to decide whether they would move for a vote in the 191-member General Assembly. Unlike Security Council resolutions, those passed in the General Assembly are nonbinding and largely symbolic.

Following the veto EU leaders reiterated their condemnation of Israel stating that they have "consistently opposed extra-judicial killings." Russia expressed its disappointment at the hastiness with which the U.S. blocked the resolution. "We regret the failure to reach consensus at the UN Security Council in connection with a dangerous outbreak of violence in the Middle East," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov stated. He added that "there was a chance to reach consensus if the consultations continued."

Russia's lower house of parliament overwhelmingly passed a statement noting that "the operation to eliminate Yassin carried out by Israel will obviously trigger new bloodshed in the region and endanger the entire process to peacefully settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." The statement was passed in a 317-5 vote, with one abstention.

The veto was the 28th used on matters regarding the Question of Palestine. The last veto exercised by the U.S. dismissed a resolution condemning the building of the Israeli separation wall on Palestinian territory. The U.S Ambassador to the UN John Negroponte explained before the vote that his country opposed the resolution "because it will not further the goals of peace and security in the region,” but that his country was "deeply troubled" by the killing of Sheikh Yassin.

Negroponte struggled to acknowledge that Israel's action has escalated tensions in Gaza and the region, preferring to ambiguously intimate that Israel’s latest assassination could set back progress towards peace. The ambassador and his administration’s rationale for vetoing the resolution is inconsistent with Washington’s call for de-escalation and in effect condones Israel’s ongoing policy of assassination.

To shed its negative image as Israel’s willing accomplice, the U.S. has launched a massive public relation’s campaign to “persuade” the Arab public of its good intentions for the region and its high regard for democracy and human rights. Foolishly utilizing Radio and TV stations, called ‘Together’ (Sawa) and ‘The Free One’ (Hurra) respectively, to reach the hearts and minds of Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims, the U.S. fails to realize that actions speak louder than words.