Syria Wins Half the Battle as Final G3 UK’s Cameron Loses Bid to Strike Assad’s Turf

Syria apparently has won half the battle against the leaders of the Western nations who want to launch a military strike against President Bashar Assad's turf over its alleged illegal use of chemical warfare weapons. On Thursday, David Cameron, British prime minister, lost a bid to convince his parliament that a strike against the Western Asian country was essential.

"The British Parliament doesn't wish to see British military action," Mr Cameron told parliament after the vote. "I get that and the government will act accordingly."

This, as members of the Syrian army moved to transfer its scud missiles, rockets, launchers and other arms of warfare to a safer spot, away from damage from an expected U.S.-led military strike.

On Thursday night, after languishing for more than seven hours of ceaseless of the need for a military strike, not to mention UK's direct participation in it, Mr Cameron lost to convince members of the House of Commons by a measly 13 votes.

Even as he so full of emotions explained that the military strike was "not about taking sides, not about invading, not about regime change," the British prime minister still failed to convince the majority.

"It's about chemical weapons. Our response to a war crime, nothing else."

"It's in Britain's national interest to maintain an international taboo about the use of chemical weapons on the battlefield," he argued.

Still, it was a lost battle. Particularly noteworthy was when some members of Mr Cameron's Conservative Party joined the Labour opposition just to get across their message in rejecting the military strike plan against Syria.

The UK is part of the 15-member state of the United Nations Security Council. It enjoys a permanent membership status along with China, Russia, France and the U.S.

Other member states include Australia, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Luxembourg, Morocco, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Rwanda and Togo.

"The British Parliament, reflecting the views of the British people, does not want to see British military action," a grim-faced Mr Cameron said after the results of the voting came out.

France and U.S. Turn Cold Turkey, Too

Also earlier on Thursday, French President François Hollande said immediate air strikes against Syria will not "put an end" to "the escalation of violence" in that country.

"Everything must be done to find a political solution but it will not arrive unless the Coalition is capable of acting as an alternative (government)," Mr Hollande said. "We will not get there unless the international community puts an end to this escalation of violence of which this chemical massacre is only one example."

His pronouncements were in exact reversal to the ones he made on Tuesday that France was "ready to punish those who took the iniquitous decision to gas innocent people."

U.S. President Barack Obama, also on Thursday, said he has not yet arrived at a conclusive decision to launch a military strike against Syria, claiming they are still studying evidences gathered by his national security team.

Syria Relocates War Weapons

In an apparent response to reports that the U.S. will still push its military strike threat sans a UN or ally support back-up, Syria has started to relocate its war weapons to safer locations.

"Either the hardware is being transported to be stored elsewhere or it will remain constantly on the move to avoid being hit," activist Amer al-Qalamouni told Reuters.

Mr al-Qalamouni said they saw military personnel as well as missiles on the move.

"Most of the personnel in the base (in the Qalamoun area) appear to have left."