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Europe backs down on Syria sanctions

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European countries have dropped calls for immediate sanctions against Syria as the government's violent crackdown on dissent continues, al Jazeera television reported.

European countries have dropped calls for immediate sanctions against Syria as the government's violent crackdown on dissent continues, al Jazeera television reported.

A scaled-down UN draft resolution sent to Security Council members, put forward by Britain, France, Germany and Portugal and backed by the United States, threatens "targeted measures including sanctions" only if the violence does not end.

The resolution comes after Russia and China threatened to veto any sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government.

The 15-nation UN Security Council "expresses its determination, in the event that Syria has not complied with this resolution, to adopt targeted measures, including sanctions."

An earlier draft resolution called for sanctions against Assad, his family and his aides.

A vote on the new resolution is expected by the end of the week.

Last week, the European Union stiffened its sanctions against Syria to include a ban on investment in the country's oil industry as well as asset freezes and travel bans for a number of senior Syrian officials.

At least six people were killed during raids on dissidents on Tuesday, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says.

More than 2,700 people are estimated to have been killed across Syria since the uprising began in March.

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