McCain Denounces Agreement on Syria's Chemical Weapons - East Idaho News
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McCain Denounces Agreement on Syria’s Chemical Weapons

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160430125?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1379493414435Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call(WASHINGTON) — Sen. John McCain doesn’t believe that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will abide by the agreement reached between the U.S. and Russia that would force Damascus to turn over its chemical weapons stockpiles to international control.

The Arizona Republican told the Council of Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C., Tuesday that “no one trusts Assad’s sincerity and there is little reason to have more faith in Russia especially when [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin himself still insists that the Syrian opposition was responsible for the August 21 attack” that the Obama administration says killed 1,400 people.

McCain also turned his anger on the White House, saying that Syria’s apparent acceptance of the pact was not the result of being worried about the use of military force threatened by the president.

According to the GOP lawmaker, both chambers of Congress were ready to vote down a resolution calling for limited military strikes against Syria.  Therefore, McCain suggested, Assad isn’t concerned that the U.S. will attack his country if he doesn’t comply with the agreement.

Even under the best case scenario, McCain said there’s no reason to think that the pact to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons is a game changer, saying, “It will not stop Assad and his forces from fighting.  It will not stop Iran from fighting.  It will not stop Hezbollah troops, who have invaded Syria by the thousands, from fighting.  And it will not stop Russia from continuing to send weapons and other military assistance to the Assad regime.”

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