Syria Elected to Seat on Security Council

Syria won a seat on the U.N. Security Council on Monday with overwhelming global support and no opposition from the United States, despite its prominent position on the U.S. list of nations sponsoring terrorism.

Israel was the only nation to oppose Syria’s bid for a two-year term on the powerful U.N. panel. It was joined by several Jewish organizations and 38 members of the U.S. Congress who wrote to President Bush on Friday urging that he oppose Syria’s election.

Syria was the unanimous choice to replace Bangladesh in an Asian seat on the council Jan. 1, and it received 160 “yes” votes out of 177 ballots cast in the General Assembly.

Russia, China, France, Britain and the U.S. hold permanent seats on the 15-nation Security Council, and five nonpermanent members are elected to two-year terms every year.

Like Syria, Cameroon and Guinea ran unopposed and were easily elected in the first ballot Monday, while Bulgaria defeated Belarus for an Eastern European seat. It took a second ballot for Mexico to beat out the Dominican Republic for a Latin American seat.

“I’m proud for this great success,” Syrian Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe said. He called the strong margin a “very excellent message to the world.”

Israeli Ambassador Yehuda Lancry said Syria’s election went against the “spirit and letter” of the U.N. Charter, which stipulates that every candidate for the Security Council “should prove its adequacy in terms of its contribution to international peace and security.”

“Syria indeed backs terrorist groups inside Syria and outside Syria,” Lancry said.

Wehbe said Syria is “very committed” to the U.N. Charter and would act “to preserve the peace and security in the world.”