John Kerry administered a diplomatic slap in the face to Britain following David Cameron's withdrawal of military support for intervention in Syria, omitting the UK from a long list of 'friends' prepared to support US actions against the Assad regime.

The diplomatic smart was made worse by Mr Kerry's pointed reference to the French as "our oldest ally" – a reference that dates back to France's role supporting America against Britain in the American Revolutionary War that began in 1776.
"It matters here if nothing is done. It matters if the world speaks out in condemnation and then nothing happens," said Mr Kerry less than 24 hours after the Commons vote that forced Mr Cameron to renege on his offer to support US action.
"America should feel confident and gratified that we are not alone in our condemnation and we are not alone in our will to do something about it and to act," added Mr Kerry, making an impassioned case that the world could walk on by in the face of Assad's use of chemical weapons.
He then listed the Obama administration's supporters, including the Arab League, the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, the Turks, Australians and the French. Britain, however, was conspicuous by its absence from that list.
Mr Cameron's repeated denunciations of the Assad regime and his stated belief that the chemical weapons attacks "must not stand" appeared to have been written off by Mr Kerry who spoke of the need to follow the lessons of history.
"The world is speaking out, and many friends stand ready to respond," he said quoting Arab League and the Organization for Islamic Cooperation.
"Turkey said there is no doubt that the regime is responsible. Our oldest ally, the French, said the regime, quote, "committed this vile action, and it is an outrage to use weapons that the community has banned for the last 90 years in all international conventions."
"The Australian prime minister said he didn't want history to record that we were, quote, a party to turning such a blind eye."
The implication was absolutely clear – Britain's House of Commons had done just that.