McCain meets with Syrian opposition in Turkey, discusses strategy

[bemildred]

United States Senator John McCain met with Syrian opposition members near Turkey's border with Syria on Tuesday and underlined the need for a strategy to topple Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an al-Qaeda-inspired group that recently declared the formation of a caliphate in territory covering parts of Iraq and Syria.

Following his meeting in the southeastern province of Gaziantep with the Syrian opposition -- including representatives from the Syrian National Coalition, the interim government, civil society activists and commanders from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) -- McCain released a statement saying he had consulted with the Syrian opposition and obtained information about the situation on the ground.

He said during meetings with a delegation from the Syrian National Coalition in Turkey, Syrian opposition members provided first-hand accounts of the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Syria, and how the recent offensive by ISIL in Iraq is shifting dynamics on the battlefield in favor of extremists in both countries.

In the statement, McCain said the Syrian opposition is fighting against two opponents: the Assad regime, which he called “murderous,” and ISIL, which he defined as a "terrorist organization.” He called for a plan of action to prevent current threats in Syria and Iraq from harming the interests of the US.

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-351944-mccain-meets-with-syrian-opposition-in-turkey-discusses-strategy.html

[gordianot]

1. Golly he lost his election in 2008 what credentials does he have to conduct foreign policy?

If a democrat were doing this there would be never ending howls of protest.

[karynnj]

3. He can NOT conduct foreign policy, but he can make trips to because he is on the SFRC

and he obviously was on a trip approved by the committee. They have a responsibility of oversight. Not equating the two men, but John Kerry took many trips to the middle East when he returned to the Senate. (He made several to Iraq and they were part of what led him to write Kerry/Feingold -- which, after getting just 13 votes, became with minor changes became the Democratic position on Iran after in 2007. )

[dballance]

4. I find it unlikely the SFRC approved his trip.

I didn't see any reference to that in the article. The statement issued by the Embassy was very turse. Not all that glowing of McCain's visit nor his statements.

[LoisB]

2. I didn't know he is now President AND Secretary of State.