A recent headline in one of our broadsheets stated: “America could intervene in Syria without UN approval.”

The regular reports of atrocities in Syria are appalling and the brutal killings of innocent women and children have to be stopped somehow.

However, it seems to have been forgotten that when Israel launched its outrageous assault on Gaza – the so-called “Operation Cast Lead”, cunningly planned to coincide with the 2008 US presidential election when the world’s attention was diverted – 1,400 civilians including 300 children were killed by American-supplied weapons.

The broadsheet report continued to say that Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, had stated that the Russian veto in the Security Council would not necessarily prevent international action if the violence continued.

Does this mean that we may see other countries decide to ignore the American veto, which is invariably used when any attempt is made to rein in Israel and take unilateral action to intervene?

Israel has blatantly ignored UN resolutions, international law and compliance with Human Rights. It continues to construct and expand settlements on the illegally-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The illegal settlers regularly stone or shoot at Palestinian villagers while Israeli troops look on unconcerned. These transgressions and atrocities are only allowed to continue because of American support.

As in Syria, is it not time that something was done to end this seemingly endless and festering tragedy? Many find the sanctimonious double-standards to be nauseating.

GORDON CLACK, Witney Road, Ducklington