Saudi Tells Russia President Syria Dialogue Futile

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that dialogue on Syria was "futile", the official SPA news agency reported on Wednesday.

Russia should have "coordinated with the Arabs... before using the veto" to block a resolution on Syria in the U.N. Security Council, King Abdullah was quoted as saying.

"But now, dialogue about what is happening (in Syria) is futile," the Saudi monarch told Medvedev in a telephone conversation on the escalating violence that has killed dozens of civilians in recent days.

According to the report, the king told Medvedev that Saudi Arabia "will never abandon its religious and moral obligations towards what's happening."

Earlier this month, Russia and China vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning the deadly crackdown on protests by President Bashar Assad's regime.

In response, King Abdullah said world confidence in the United Nations had been shaken.

"We all used to take pride in the United Nations which used to bring us together and not divide us... but what took place does not augur well as world confidence in the United Nations has undoubtedly been shaken," the monarch said in a televised speech after the vote.

"No matter how powerful, countries cannot rule the whole world," he added. "The world is ruled by brains, by justice, by morals and by fairness."

The Kremlin released a statement earlier on Wednesday saying Abdullah and Medvedev exchanged views about the situation in the Middle East in light of the events in Syria, but gave no further details.

The monarch's statements came as Syria's main opposition group urged the international community to create safe havens in the country and said that military intervention might be the "only option" to end a brutal crackdown.

At a news conference in Paris, the Syrian National Council said it would attend a meeting in Tunis on Friday of the countries known as the "Friends of Syria" and ask for safe zones to protect civilians and allow the opposition to organize.

The SNC, which is the most representative opposition umbrella group, also called on Russia to force Assad's regime to allow access for humanitarian convoys.

More than 6,000 people have died in the unrest in Syria, activists say, as Assad's government seeks to snuff out a revolt that began with peaceful protests in March last year but has also seen military deserters take up arms against the regime.

Saudi Arabia has taken a strong stance against the escalating bloodshed and along with five other Gulf states earlier this month, decided to expel Syrian envoys and withdraw their own over the "mass slaughter" of civilians.

The king has previously called for "critical measures" to be taken on Syria, warning of an impending "humanitarian disaster".