Interview with U.S. Senator John McCain

On the eve of the ‘Friends of Syria’ conference in Turkey, Senator John McCain (Rep.AZ) urged the Obama administration, to lead an international coalition of Arab States, the European Union and Turkey to provide the Syrian fighters with a range of military support that could include “foreign air power” arms, training and a “sanctuary” to improve their ability in “an unfair fight.”

McCain, the Republican nominee for the presidency in 2008 ruled out in an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya, deploying “American boots on the ground” or unilateral American attacks.

On Iraq, McCain agreed with the critics of Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki who is “consolidating power and is attempting to basically impose his rule on Sunnis and Kurds.” Again, he blamed president Obama for essentially abandoning Iraq when he did not insist on maintaining a residual military force there.

McCain, praised the reform efforts in Tunisia, Libya and Morocco, however, he was gloomier about Egypt's prospects

McCain, who visited Egypt during the NGO’s crisis with the U.S., said he agreed with Secretary Hillary Clinton’s decision to resume military and economic aid to Egypt, but he warned that “we may reach a point where we have to reconsider that.”