WORLD : U.S. Vetoes U.N. Censure Vote

UNITED NATIONS — The United States today vetoed a Security Council resolution censuring a military sweep of the Nicaraguan ambassador’s home in Panama on Dec. 29 as a violation of international law.

In exercising its veto right as a permanent member of the council, the United States killed the resolution, although all members of the council supported it except Britain, which abstained.

France and Canada were among allies who voted in favor of it. The vote was 13 to 1 with one absention.

U.S. Ambassador Thomas Pickering told the council that the United States had apologized to Nicaragua for an “honest mistake” and that a resolution on the issue would only “trivialize the work of this important body.”