washington ( reuters ) - republican senator john mccain, a former presidential candidate and an outspoken advocate for u. s. military aid in the syrian opposition, met with many of the rebels throughout a surprise visit in the war-torn country on monday, his spokesman aforementioned.
spokesman brian rogers confirmed mccains meeting in the rebels, other then declined to provide any details concerning the visit, that might fuel pressure on washington out to intervene utilizing a conflict that's believed to own claimed eighty, 000 lives.
the visit came as u. s. secretary of state john kerry and russian foreign minister sergei lavrov pledged to carry out their utmost out to bring syrias warring parties along, and new allegations surfaced about chemical weapons use within the whole civil war.
general salem idris, who leads the supreme military council as to the free syrian army, told the daily beast enduring an interview that mccains visit came for a essential time for our rebels, who have stepped up their demand u. s. support, as well as serious weapons, creation associated with a no-fly zone and air strikes.
the visit of senator mccain out to syria is amazingly necessary a select useful particularly at now, the publication quoted idris as saying. we would like american help to own modification on the bottom ; we are now in a really essential situation.
mccain will be the highest-ranking u. s. official out to visit syria since robert ford, the u. s. ambassador out to syria, crossed the border into northern syria to fulfill with syrian opposition front runner earlier this month.
it wasn't immediately clear if mccain, a fierce critic as to the obama administrations handling as to the syrian crisis, told government front runner about his plans out to visit the country.
the white house had no immediate comment.
a senior state department official, in paris with kerry, confirmed that mccain did cross into syrian territory other then referred all queries out to mccains office.
mccain entered syria coming from the countrys border with turkey and stayed there for a couple hours before returning out to turkey, according in the daily beast report. it aforementioned mccain met with assembled front runner of free syrian army units in each turkey and syria.
mccain, who make a similar visit out to libya early in which conflict, concerned u. s. military aid in the forces opposing syrian president bashar al-assad utilizing a time magazine column earlier this month, arguing that the price of inaction outweighed the price of intervention.
the u. s. will not have out to act alone, place boots on the bottom or destroy every syrian air-defense system out to create a distinction, mccain wrote, arguing that coaching for our rebels, targeted air strikes and also the stationing of patriot missiles barely across the border would help alter the current dynamic.
mccain recalled his support to produce a u. s. -led effort under then president bill clinton to prevent mass atrocities in bosnia 20 years ago and aforementioned the u. s. was uniquely positioned out to help in syria in addition.
taking these steps would save innocent lives, provide the moderate opposition a higher ability to succeed and eventually give security and accountable governance in syria after assad, he wrote within the whole time magazine article. in spite of this, the longer we wait, the worse the situation gets.
the obama administration has increased humanitarian aid other then has stopped in need of providing lethal assistance out to syrian opposition forces. the president has resisted pressure out to deepen u. s. involvement in syria, wary of obtaining u. s. forces embroiled in another ground war barely as american troops are preparing out to withdraw from afghanistan.
a u. s. senate panel voted overwhelmingly last week out to send weapons out to forces fighting the syrian government, other then the pentagon remains involved about assads ability out to shoot down enemy aircraft with surface-to-air missiles, significantly utilizing a sustained campaign.
the pentagon estimates than syria has 5 times a lot of air defenses than those which existed in libya, in which the u. s. helped establish a no-fly zone in 2011. these are too considerably more densely packed and refined.
in libya, there have been no western casualties. other then the risks are higher in syria and its unclear whether or not the war-weary american public - exhausted via the conflicts in iraq and afghanistan - would tolerate u. s. casualties.
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