Report: McCain Meets With Rebel Leader In Syria

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

IGOR BOBIC 1:12 PM EDT, MONDAY MAY 27, 2013

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) became the highest ranking member of the U.S. government to cross the borders of Syria since the beginning of the bloody civil war more than two years ago, the Daily Beast's Josh Rogin reports:

McCain, one of the fiercest critics of the Obama administration’s Syria policy made the unannounced visit across the Turkey-Syria border with Gen. Salem Idris, the leader of the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army. He stayed in the country for several hours before returning to Turkey. Both in Syria and Turkey, McCain and Idris met with assembled leaders of Free Syrian Army units that traveled from around the country to see the U.S. senator. Inside those meetings, rebel leaders called on the United States to step up its support to the Syrian armed opposition and provide them with heavy weapons, a no-fly zone, and airstrikes on the Syrian regime and the forces of Hezbollah, which is increasing active in Syria.

McCain also met with U.S. troops serving in Turkey for Memorial Day:

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/mccain-meets-with-rebel-leader-in-syria

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. McWarpig ought leave diplomacy to the executive branch.

[obama4socialism]

15. Both parties in the U.S are hellbent on negotiating with terrorist fundamentalists

The rebels largely have proclaimed, and the citizens know, if the rebels win Syria will have a fundamentalist Sharia government. Who can run will be restricted to who the rebels allow seeing as they have already killed or forced thousands of Christians and Secular Muslims to flee their terrorism(Chemical weapons use, violent Jihadi beheadings and multiple car bombs in civilians areas all are acts recently committed by rebel terrorists).

It seems the U.S. wants to arm yet another fundamentalist al quaeda connected group to destroy what is percieved as an Iranian proxy, without regard to the loss of secular religious freedoms enjoyed by the population at large under Assad's rule.

Shame on the my country. Our tax dollars need to stay home building employment, education, and infrastructure. I don't want my tax dollars being used to ARM REBEL TERRORISTS!

[rdharma]

29. Who do you think you are fooling?

Welcome, obama4socialism! Member since: Sun May 26, 2013

Sharia in Syria?

Please explain how you think that's going to happen.

[Comrade Grumpy]

34. Ask Al Nusra. They'll be happy to tell you.

[rdharma]

35. It sounds to me like you've fallen for the neo-con hyped propaganda.......

.... rather than getting a realistic estimate of the situation.

When Assad falls, the Syrian Army will come over to the FSA. There is absolutely no incentive for them to join up with JAN.

The guns will then be turned on JAN.

Do not listen to the crap coming from McCain and Graham. They were wrong about Iraq and they're wrong about this one too. Fact is...... they are ALWAYS wrong!

[Posteritatis]

20. Doesn't US law have, ah, some opinions on non-State people doing stuff like that? (nt)

[hughee99]

33. No, I don't believe there is any law regarding who "non-State" people can meet with.

McCain isn't allowed to negotiate on behalf of the US (unless given authority to do so from State/President), but he can meet with whoever he wants.

[L0oniX]

2. It's sing along with John: Bomb Bomb Bomb ...Bomb Bomb Iran

[Botany]

3. Mother fucker don't we have a State Department and an elected President to do ....

... our diplomatic policies? This is border line treason or at the least usurping
the Constitutionaly protected powers of the POTUS.

[Sunlei]

4. They probably sent him & are aware of the meetings, with who and questions.

I doubt McCain makes a sales Rep. call for Cheneys' Weapons for sale, Corp.
but maybe McCain handed out ordering cards

[jakeXT]

5. He is singing the correct song

Rebel general claims Mossad operating in Syria

Israel obtained evidence of chemical weapons use because it has agents in the country, says Free Syrian Army head

Syrian rebel military leader said Wednesday that he is convinced Israeli Mossad agents are operating in Syria, claiming their presence in the war-torn country was what led the IDF to state that chemical weapons were used by the Assad regime.

“Israel has this information because there are many, many members of security services who are now very active in Syria,” Free Syrian Army Chief of Staff General Salim Idriss told CNN’s Christian Amanpour, hinting that the weakened regime of President Bashar Assad was incapable of controlling the borders. “Mossad is one of the most famous security services in the world and I don’t think they are away.”

http://www.timesofisrael.com/rebel-general-claims-mossad-operating-in-syria/

[John2]

17. If it is true,

the rebels are co-operating with the Israelis. And it would prove the Israelis are helping the rebels.

[DRoseDARs]

6. Before teh stoopid grows in this thread, members of Congress do actually have the right to do this.

So long as they don't undermine standing US foreign policy, members of both chambers often go on "fact-finding" missions. Remember when Pelosi went to the Middle East and the Right went apeshit? How about we not make ourselves look foolish and do the same.

[highmindedhavi]

8. Thanks for the reminder

Very smart. I did forget.

[PatrynXX]

12. yep they do have the right....

but the optics aren't great on this one.

[John2]

16. He is doing this

for whom? He is intefering in another countrys' civil war and participating to over throw it. The Syrian Government has every right to apprehend McCain. What do you say about that?

[John2]

18. And why don't you

give us a little more information about Pelosi's trip instead of comparing it to a warmonger. Did the U.S. actually have forces in the country she visited? McCain is intefering in a Foreign Country and trying to facilitate the overthrow of a Government for his rightwing agenda. The Syrian Government has every right to view McCain as an aggressor.

[wingzeroday]

27. Syria

She went to Syria in 2007 and was accused by the right of conducting her own foreign policy, treason, Logan act violations, undermining the President etc.

Should be some threads here on it.

That and they were making fun of her for wearing a hijab.

[East Coast Pirate]

30. Pelosi brings message of peace to Assad

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held talks with Syria's leader Wednesday despite White House objections, saying she pressed President Bashar Assad over his country's support for militant groups and passed him a peace message from Israel.

The meeting was an attempt to push the Bush administration to open a direct dialogue with Syria, a step that the White House has rejected. Congressional Democrats insist the U.S. attempts to isolate Syria have failed to force the Assad government to change its policies.

Rep. Tom Lantos, the head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who was in Pelosi's delegation, said the meeting "reinforced sharply" the potential benefits of talking to Syria. "This is only the beginning of our constructive dialogue with Syria and we hope to build on this visit," he told reporters.

On Tuesday, President Bush denounced Pelosi's visit to Syria, saying it sends mixed signals to Assad's government. "Sending delegations doesn't work. It's simply been counterproductive," Bush said.

More

[Botany]

19. "before teh stupid grows"

Last edited Tue May 28, 2013, 08:58 AM - Edit history (1)

John McCain has a history of conducting foreign policy on his own and sometimes
w/deadly outcomes.

[graywarrior]

21. He's a Maverick

[Comrade Grumpy]

24. Yes, he has the right to try to push Obama into another war.

But he can still fuck off.

[cliffordu]

7. That fucking McCain -

Out president'n, cogent as Shrub.

[Teamster Jeff]

9. Maybe he is advising them on how to crash planes

[Old Union Guy]

10. We are going to war in Syria, and McCain provides the bi-partisan cover. n/t

[rdharma]

22. No, we are not going to war in Syria.

Bi-partisan cover? McCain? Oh, puhleese!

[freshwest]

11. He can do his Beach Boys mashup song for them.

[PatrynXX]

13. main reason he looks silly doing this is...

They are Sunni's. ahem , there are no winners here. We just spent a decade fighting against Sunni's in Iraq. Saddam was supposedly Sunni. Put many in power across the country of Iraq. Optics here we can't look like we are going in here without upsetting the Shiites in Iraq. X_X Was told for a decade of course in the confusing way of things Sunnis are bad and Shiites are just fine. Not the Shiites are bad and the Sunnies are good. Theoretically things were backwards in Iraq and we supported the wrong site. But it gets about as confusing as Conservative Democrats are.

[Life Long Dem]

14. How about we all give him a pat on the back

Last edited Mon May 27, 2013, 08:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Not like anyone is going to listen to this lying warmonger anyway.

[MrSlayer]

23. So, he met with a bunch of al-Qaeda and Islamic extremists?

What the hell is wrong with this dude? Palling around with terrorists and all.

[marble falls]

25. Since when has McCain been authorized to carry out foriegn policy???

[TheDebbieDee]

26. I would HOPE that McCain met with these Syrians at the request of Pres O.

If not, then this is just another example of repukes undermining the President.

[marble falls]

32. Hope being the operative world. I think you hit it on the nose.

[Mponti]

28. Didn't he meet with Qadhafi & son in '09...

Praising Libya for its conterterrorism efforts and promising he'd push the Pentagon to provide new military hardware?

How'd that work out for the Maverick?

[rdharma]

36. Yes, he did meet with Qadahafi & son in 2009

And he also made a tour of Iraq with his buddy Lindsey Graham and came up with some stupid recommendations after that trip as well.

[mulsh]

31. I wonder how much of donation he was able to extract.

n/t