Syria Massacre Fuels UN Debate on Sanctions, Monitors

The Houla massacre in Syria is fueling debate about whether the United Nations should take actions such as imposing sanctions and expanding its monitoring mission, neither of which is likely to force Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to yield to his opponents.

The worst atrocity in the 15-month uprising against Assad is raising tensions within the UN Security Council over how to quell the violence in Syria, exposing rifts over the UN observer force as well as the continuing impasse on sanctions.