The United Nations Human Rights Council voted on Friday to extend the mandate of its investigation into war crimes in Syria by another six months.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE )(English) U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, EILEEN CHAMBERLAIN DONAHOE, SAYING:<br/> <br />"Assad continues to cling to power and his campaign of brutality has sparked a deepening humanitarian crisis. We cannot afford to be silent. The resolution put forward today strengthens support for the work of the Commission of Inquiry, instituted by this council more than a year ago."<br/> <br />Syria's UN ambassador Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui rejected the text as "highly-politicised and selective" and accused Islamic "terrorists" of fuelling the violence in his country.<br/> <br />The 47-member body adopted the resolution by a vote of 41 states in favour, with three states - China, Cuba and Russia - against and three abstentions.<br/> <br />Since it was set up a year ago, the independent inquiry has interviewed more than 1,100 victims, refugees and defectors but has been denied access to Syria.
