The United States said Thursday that the UN Security Council has "utterly failed" on Syria and that it will now work outside of the council to confront President Bashar al-Assad.

"We will intensify our work with a diverse range of partners outside the Security Council to bring pressure to bear on the Assad regime and to deliver assistance to those in need," US ambassador Susan Rice said, as she slammed Russia and China for vetoing a resolution threatening sanctions against Assad.

[Source: AFP]