Beirut/New York, Rajab 24, 1435, May 23, 2014, SPA -- Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) Thursday with Russia saying it feared that Western powers might have used it as a pretext for an armed intervention in Syria, dpa reported. French ambassador Gerard Araud, whose country drafted the resolution, rejected the accusation: "I don't even think it is worth arguing about." Before the vote, Araud called on the council to adopt the resolution that would have referred both state and opposition actors who have committed human rights violations to the ICC, saying that the council had the responsibility to provide justice to Syrians. "A veto would cover up all crimes, it would be vetoing justice," Araud said. The United States, which voted in favor of the resolution along with the other 12 members of the council, condemned Russia and its ally China's decision to veto the text. -- SPA 00:43 LOCAL TIME 21:43 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w