Syria: it takes more courage to say there is nothing outsiders can do | Simon Jenkins

The human misery in Syria is agonising to watch. But intervention-lite is a bad idea for all but the politicians' egos

The urge of Britain's political establishment to attack Syria is in retreat. The prime minister's eagerness to join an American bombing run on Damascus has hit parliamentary opposition. Though Thursday's Commons vote was ambivalent on intervention as such, it was clear that there must be some clearance through the United Nations.

As David Cameron virtually admitted, Downing Str...