Rapid Fire August 30, 2013: UK’s House of Commons Blocks Military Action Against Syria

• British Prime Minister David Cameron came to the House of Commons armed with an intelligence dossier from the Joint Intelligence Committee, as well as a legal opinion from the Attorney General. He narrowly grounded his case for military action against Assad’s regime on the need to deter further use of chemical weapons. Despite the Prime Minister’s attempts to preempt concerns of post-Iraq war weariness or fear of unintended consequences, his government’s motion was defeated 285 to 272.