New European Bid for U.N. Condemnation of Syria

European nations on Monday condemned "terrible atrocities" in Syria as they formally launched a new bid to get a U.N. resolution passed condemning the deadly crackdown on opposition protests.

The U.N. General Assembly's human rights committee will vote Tuesday on the resolution which the Damascus government's U.N. envoy said was proof that the European nations suffer from "Syria-phobia".

Germany, France and Britain hope, however, that the vote will be the first stage of bringing President Bashar al-Assad's case back to the U.N. Security Council.

Russia and China last month vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning Assad's actions, which the U.N. says has led to 3,500 deaths in Syria since mid-March.

Germany's U.N. ambassador, Peter Wittig, said the "death toll is mounting" and "it is essential that the international community continue to respond to these terrible atrocities," as he formally introduced the resolution at the General Assembly.

He said the resolution was co-sponsored by more than 60 countries from every region of the globe -- including Arab nations Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and Morocco.

Turkey is also a co-sponsor, but Egypt, where protests against the military authorities have erupted, has distributed a letter opposing the resolution, diplomats said.

"It is important to support the strong and remarkable stance" taken by the Arab League in suspending Syria and ordering sanctions over Assad's failure to halt the violence, Wittig said.

The European nations say they will try to bring a new resolution before the 15-member Security Council because of the worsening death toll in Syria. But diplomats have said it could take weeks to convince Russia and China not to block the action again.

Syria's U.N. envoy, Bashar Jaafari, accused the European leaders of the campaign of "Syria-phobia."

Britain, France and Germany are "declaring a political and media and diplomatic war against my country," he said.