The United Nations Security Council has rejected a probe into the deaths of scores of civilians in the NATO bombing of Libya earlier this year. In a story featured on Thursday’s Democracy Now!, a New York Times investigation found at least 40 civilians, and perhaps more than 70, were killed by NATO. The dead included at least 29 women or children. On Thursday, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said a probe is needed to determine the exact toll.

Vitaly Churkin: “The matter of civilian casualties, we believe, is particularly—from the bombing campaign, is particularly important because we need to have a serious analysis. Some members of the council, I can share with you, thought that somehow it was a diversion from Syria coming from us, asking why we’re not discussing Syria. I gave a very simple response: 'Because today we are discussing Libya. It is on our agenda, so it's a matter coming out of the situation in Libya.’ So this is where it stands now.”

The United States has refused to allow a U.N. Security Council probe into Libyan civilian deaths. In response to the proposal, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice accused Russia of trying to distract from its opposition to a measure condemning the Syrian crackdown.

Susan Rice: “This is a distraction and a diversion, and it is a diversion from the fact that this council’s actions, and that of NATO and its partners, saved tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Libyan lives. That is something we should be celebrating. It is certainly something that the people of Libya are celebrating. And if the Libyans want to work with NATO to investigate any concerns they have, we’re more than willing to do that. I think it’s notable that we have not heard that call from the Libyan government. So let us—let us see this for what it is. This is duplicative, it’s redundant, it’s superfluous, and it’s a stunt.”