On Sunday, the United Nations Security Council rejected a Russia-drafted resolution condemning the US, British and French missile strikes against Syria. Sputnik discussed the issue with David Coburn, a British MEP with the UK Independence Party.

Sputnik: What do you think of rejection of the Russia-drafted UN resolution on Syria?
David Coburn: We’re totally against any sort of war, we need to be sensible by this and make sure that Russia and the allied parts talk among themselves, we can’t have the situation where we’ve got the media war between Russia and everyone else, but at the same time we must sort out this business with Syria, we cannot have the situation that's happening in Douma where people have been killed with nerve gases, it’s got to be stopped, chemical weapons are absolutely disgusting, they cannot be used by anyone, but we have to be assured who did it.
It doesn’t seem to be in President Assad's interests to use chemical weapons at all because he’s actually won the war in all but name, so it seems a bit silly that he should be doing it, it could well have been ISIS [Daesh*], but if we take sides with him we actually end up supporting ISIS, and, quite frankly, I know President Assad is a monster; as far as we’re concerned ISIS is much more dangerous for us here in the West, they’re the ones who have been causing such major troubles.
READ MORE: Russia Calls US 'Aggressor,' Washington 'Locked and Loaded' to Hit Syria Again
Sputnik: Can you comment on your take on the legality of the actions of the Western powers? I know that Theresa May has been criticized and I believe that Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon have both said that they would’ve preferred to have a parliamentary decision and perhaps even a UN decision prior to proceeding with these kinds of strikes?David Coburn: Well sometimes it cannot always be done, but in this circumstance … I don’t think Parliament would be entirely in favor of launching this attack, that is a bit of a problem. I think in general terms we should get permission from Parliament when you launch into these things but sometimes it’s not always possible, we have to understand that it’s not all simple, but at the same time I think that this situation could’ve come to Parliament first; it's all been a bit rash and I think a bit dangerous.
READ MORE: Syria Got Rid of Chemical Weapons, OPCW Confirmed Destruction — Russian FM
Sputnik: Why do you think that the timing was as it was? It seemed that just as the OPCW was arriving for the examination of the alleged attack site, why didn’t they wait? What would they have lost by waiting?
David Coburn: I think a little bit of caution should’ve been taken, I think it was a bit rash going ahead with that, I think more examination should be had of these matters. It seems strange that Assad should do this, it could well have been set up by the other side and ISIS is a real problem and, of course, they wanted to bring the West in to bomb the Syrians, and, of course, the best thing they can do is set something like this up; I’m not saying that’s what happened, we just don’t know, but I think we do need to talk to the Russians and not be sabre-rattling, I think that’s very foolish.
Sputnik: To what extent do you think that Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron really took this decision based on pressure from the US or do you think that they were fairly independent as political actors in this case?David Coburn: I think that perhaps they should’ve been more careful with what they’ve been doing and that depends on how much pressure America has been putting on them. I think that we should have gone into more thoughtful action, I think that they may have been bounced into this by the Americans – not always wise to do that, we saw what happen before over in Iraq when that happened, and I don’t think we want to be involved in yet another war and end up destroying yet another country, and then having to pick up the pieces, this does not seem to be sensible, I think we should be talking with the Russians, not fighting them.