U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s failure to win parliamentary approval for military strikes against Syria complicates a decision by U.S. President Barack Obama on how to hold the Syrian government accountable for an alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians.

With the House of Commons rejection of a plan from Cameron for use of military force, Obama was left recalculating the cost of acting in Syria now that the hands of the main U.S. ally are tied. Even with last night’s vote by U.K. lawmakers, Obama can draw upon some support for the U.S. taking action on its own.

“It’s bad for Cameron, it’s bad for Obama,” said Aaron David Miller, who has advised several U.S. presidents on the Middle East. “But that is not going to prevent the president from going alone.” [Link]