John McCain Live Blog

10 weeks 6 days ago - Syria

In an interview with Al Jazeera, US Senator John McCain slammed special envoy Kofi Annan's emphasis on dialogue with Bashar al-Assad's government, saying it made him "wonder what planet Mr. Kofi Annan is on".

McCain has called for military intervetion in Syria by a coalition of Arab and Western nations similar to the one that acted on UN authority in Libya. He opposes unilateral action. 

Tags dialogue, John McCain, Kofi Annan, slams
11 weeks 2 days ago - Washington DC

US President Barack Obama remains committed to diplomatic efforts to end the violence in Syria, the White House said on Tuesday, despite calls from leading Republican senator John McCain for military action against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

"The President has repeatedly called for an immediate halt to the violence in Syria. Currently the administration is focused on diplomatic and political approaches rather than a military intervention," said Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman. 

"Our best chance to do that and to usher in a political transition is to continue to isolate the regime, cut off key revenue streams, and push the opposition to unite itself under a clear transition plan that makes space for Syrians of all creeds and ethnicities," he said. 

[Reuters]

Tags Barack Obama, diplomacy, John McCain, syria
11 weeks 2 days ago - Washington

A veteran US senator has urged Washington to launch airstrikes against Syria's military in response to its use of heavy artillery to bombard and devastate residential areas in protest hubs across the country.

Speaking in the Senate on Monday, John McCain accused said US President Barack Obama had been too soft on Damascus and cited moral and strategic obligations to help force the government of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, out of power.

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Tags John McCain, syria
11 weeks 3 days ago - Syria

John McCain is calling for US air strikes on Syrian forces to protect population centers and create safe havens for opponents of the regime.

"To be clear: This will require the United States to suppress enemy air defenses in at least part of the country." McCain said in remarks on the floor of the Senate.

McCain argued it would be a "strategic and moral defeat" for the US if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad succeeds in clinging to power, and said military action was needed to drive a negotiated transition.

What opposition groups in Syria need most urgently is relief from Assad's tank and artillery sieges in the many cities that are still contested.

"Providing military assistance to the Free Syrian Army and other opposition groups is necessary, but at this late hour, that alone will not be sufficient to stop the slaughter and save innocent lives.

"The only realistic way to do so is with foreign air power."

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13 weeks 3 days ago - Egypt

Senator. John McCain said Monday US relations with Egypt are changing a year after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak but the two countries "must remain friends.''

McCain was speaking at a business conference in Cairo just before meeting with the country's military leaders.

US -Egypt relations are at their lowest points in decades, strained over the government's crackdown on foreign-funded nonprofit groups working for democracy in Egypt. Egyptian authorities have referred 16 Americans and 27 others who worked for the various groups to a criminal trial expected to begin on Feburary. 26. McCain chairs one of the four American groups targeted.

"Egypt is changing. It is true, and as such, the nature of America's partnership with Egypt is also changing,'' McCain told a room full of US and Egyptian businessmen.

"But ... we must remain the strongest of friends, politically, economically and militarily. We must maintain and strengthen the key pillars of that partnership, especially our commercial and trading relationship and where the people of Egypt and their newly elected government make the right decisions about the policies that will shape their sovereign nation's future,'' he said.

"We must be here to reinforce and support them.''  [AP]

Tags John McCain, US
15 weeks 1 day ago - Egypt

US Senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman and Kelly Ayotte released the following statement on the situation in Egypt:

The current crisis with the Egyptian government has escalated to such a level that it now threatens our long-standing partnership. There are committed opponents of the United States and the US-Egypt relationship within the government in Cairo who are exacerbating tensions and inflaming public opinion in order to advance a narrow political agenda. At the same time, there are people of good will in both countries, civilian and military, who are working hard to resolve this crisis. This cannot happen soon enough.

[...]

Tags Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Kelly Ayotte
30 weeks 4 days ago - US

US Senator John McCain spoke about Syria this morning on ABC’s This Week, saying military action to protect civilians in Syria might be considered: 

I think that Syria cannot be allowed to continue to slaughter its own citizens indefinitely. Now the Arab League Foreign Ministers are going to Damascus and make demands which Assad will not agree to. So this is a step by step process. But, I would not completely rule out actions to prevent over time Bashar Assad from continuing to slaughter his own people."
Tags John McCain, military intervention, syria
34 weeks 13 hours ago - Libya

A high-profile delegation of United States senators has arrived in the Libyan capital Tripoli, they include John McCain, the one-time Republican presidential hopeful. It comes days after America re-opened its embassy in the country.

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34 weeks 14 hours ago - Libya

US senator John McCain held a live news conference in Tripoli, this is the highest profile visit by US delegation since Gaddafi's ouster:

Libyan people have inspired the world, the sacrifice of the Libyan people give Libyans a lasting chance for peace.

The next few month will shape the future, the NTC will announce a new cabinet and it is important for it to be inclusive of all.

It is important of the NTC to bring in any armed groups under its responsible authority, they also need to bring Gaddafi and his family to justice.

We [US] want to encourage free flow of trade between our countries."

Tags John McCain
48 weeks 2 days ago - Libya

John Kerry and John McCain plan to introduce a resolution authorising a limited role for the US military in Libya.

McCain, a senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, spoke on the senate floor on Tuesday about the measure, which he will introduce with Kerry, a democrat and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

The resolution will grant President Barack Obama the authority for one year to advance US national security interests as part of NATO's efforts to challenge Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Tags Gaddafi, John Kerry, John McCain, NATO, violence

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