The Syrian army pounded rebel stronghold Homs again on Monday, raising a death toll that had already reached the hundreds in recent days. German editorialists are slamming moves by Russia and China over the weekend to to veto a resolution condemning the violence currently being perpetrated by Bashar Assad's regime.

Another round of shelling killed more than 50 people in Syria's insurgent stronghold Homs on Monday according to opposition officials quoted by news agency Reuters, pushing the death toll into the hundreds following several days of attacks. Meanwhile, the international community remains divided after Saturday's move by Russia and China to veto a United Nations resolution condemning the violence in the Middle Eastern country.

Anti-government protesters in Syria: Are Moscow and Beijing out of step
with history? Photo by dapd.

Syrian opposition leaders expressed outrage over the veto, and the United States pledged to exert "severe pressure" on President Bashar Assad. "Faced with a neutered Security Council, we have to redouble our efforts outside of the United Nations with those allies and partners who support the Syrian people's right to have a better future," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a visit to Bulgaria on Sunday. On Monday, the U.S. moved to close its embassy in Damascus and withdraw its diplomats and staff because of instability in the country.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Paris after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said, "France and Germany will not abandon the Syrian people. We will not accept that the international community remains blocked."

Russia and China, however, have staunchly defended their positions. Speaking on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said voting on the draft would have meant having to choose sides in a civil war. Assisting "armed extremist groups," he said, would only increase the number of casualties.

In China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told the Associated Press that the vote had been forced before the parties had agreed on it. "Such practices do not help maintain the unity and authority of the U.N. Security Council, nor does it help to properly solve the issues," he said.