Clinton to back U.N. resolution on power transfer in Syria

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will join the foreign ministers of France and Britain at the United Nations to push for a resolution on the transfer of power in Syria, the BBC reports.

Update at 3 p.m. ET: In a message to besieged Syrians, Clinton said in a statement: "We stand with you."

"The status quo is unsustainable," Clinton said. "The longer the Assad regime continues its attacks on the Syrian people and stands in the way of a peaceful transition, the greater the concern that instability will escalate and spill over throughout the region."

Original post: Talks on the resolution will begin at the U.N. in New York on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.

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Ugarit News group via APTN

France says 10 of the 15 countries on the Security Council now support the Arab League's proposal for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to hand power to a deputy, the BBC says.

Russia, however, has that it will use its veto to block a resolution.

"This document isn't balanced and it opens the door to intervention in Syrian affairs," Gennady Gatilov said, according to the Interfax news service as reported by Bloomberg News.

The latest draft resolution proposed by the West isn't fundamentally different to an October resolution on Syria vetoed by Russia, and "obviously can't be supported by us," he said.

Syrian forces heavily shelled the restive city of Homs today and troops pushed back dissident troops from some suburbs on the outskirts of Damascus in an offensive trying to regain control of the capital's eastern doorstep, activists said, according to the AP.

Activists reported at least 28 civilians killed today.

The United Nations estimated several weeks ago that more than 5,400 people have been killed in Syria's crackdown since the uprising against Assad's rule began in March.

The bloodshed has continued since — with more than 190 killed in the past five days — and the U.N. says it has been unable to update the figure, the AP reports.