British Prime Minister David Cameron will come down on the right side of history as he called for stern action against Syria, despite the UK parliament voting against involvement in a military strike against Syria.

Cameron, who sought approval from parliament in order to then put a resolution before the United Nations, will be accused of making an error of judgment, but he will be remembered as at least, having taken a personal stance. It is staggering, though, to think that it took the death of 350 people to sit up and take notice – and this because the Assad regime used chemical weapons. We say this because it pales in comparison to the 100,000 people that have lost their lives to date.

All of a sudden, after the use of chemical weapons, the world has sat up and taken notice. French President Francois Hollande said his country can go ahead with plans to strike Syria for allegedly using chemical weapons despite the British parliament's failure to endorse military action. He told the newspaper Le Monde that the "chemical massacre of Damascus cannot and must not remain unpunished."

Despite the UK parliament voting against military action, Treasury chief George Osborne warned that Britain should not turn its back on the world after the stunning parliamentary defeat of the motion for military intervention in Syria. He told the BBC there will be "national soul-searching" about Britain's global role after the "no" vote.

Germany has also gone quiet. A government spokesman said Germany isn't considering joining military action against Syria and hasn't been asked by others to do so. Berlin has called for the international community to take a "clear position" following the alleged chemical attack, but has left open what exactly that might entail.

One other side of the argument, Russia expressed puzzlement over why the UN team was leaving so soon "when there are many questions about a possible use of chemical weapons in other areas in Syria." He said Russia has not seen the US intelligence that Washington claims proves the role of the Syrian government in last week's alleged chemical weapons attack. Russia also welcomed the UK’s vote.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will meet privately with the ambassadors of the five permanent Security Council members as part of his efforts to urge the divided council to come together and act on Syria's crisis.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel defended the principles behind the planned strike. Speaking from Manila, Philippines, he said Washington would continue to seek partners in its Syria mission: "Our approach is to continue to find an international coalition that will act together."