If there is going to be a group of western nations joining together to strike Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria after their alleged use of chemical weapons Britain will not be a part of it; Prime Minister David Cameron brought the topic to a vote in Parliament where it was defeated by just 13 votes, according to the New York Times.
Cameron had been one of the most vocal proponents for military invention from the west into the close to three-year-long Syrian civil war. In a surprising move to gain support for a military strike Britain had released classified intelligence information on Thursday accusing al-Assad's regime for the chemical attack that killed hundreds last week. Cameron's administration also attempted to explain that even if the United Nations Security Council fails to authorize a strike, which is unlikely given that Russia is a supporter of Syria, that intervention would be justified on humanitarian grounds because of the chemical attack, according to the New York Times.
Cameron was surprised by the outcome of the vote. While the vote is non-binding it seems unlikely that the British Prime Minister will act against the will of Parliament, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"It is clear to me that the British Parliament, reflecting the views of the British people, does not want to see British military action," Cameron said shortly after the vote. "I get that, and the government will act accordingly."
Many British lawmakers were reluctant to commit to military action in Syria before a full report is issued from United Nations weapons inspectors who recently examined the scene of last week's attack, according to the Los Angeles Times.
While Cameron was finding out that his plans for military action in Syria were being shot down by his government his ally across the pond, President Barack Obama, was planning to present the case for intervention to Congress, according to the Washington Post.
"We want the Assad regime to understand that by using chemical weapons on a large scale against your own people, against women, against infants, against children, that you are not only breaking international norms and standards of decency, but you're also creating a situation where U.S. national interests are affected. And that needs to stop," President Obama said in an interview with PBS.
On Thursday a fifth U.S. destroyer was sent to the area preparing for the possibility of an American cruise missile strike on Syria.
