McCain pans Obama for "backseat role" on Libya

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Sunday criticized President Obama for taking a "backseat role" in Libya, and said it was time for the United States to get "back in the fight."

In an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation," McCain argued that Mr. Obama had "withdrawn" from NATO in its actions against Libya, and that NATO forces were subsequently weakened and inadequately supplied.

"I would like to remind you that NATO is an organization of 28 countries," McCain told CBS' Bob Schieffer. "With Italy there's now seven of them actually in the fight. They don't have the assets that the United States of America does. ...the United States is NATO. So the British and the French - God bless them and others - they don't have the assets. They are running out of some of their munitions.

"We need to get back into the fight," McCain urged. "We should be leading. We should not be following."

McCain warned against allowing the conflict to end in a stalemate, an outcome he characterized as "very bad," and which he said would "open the door to al Qaeda."

"It's events on the ground that will drive Qaddafi's desire to leave or not to leave," McCain said. "Right now in many respects he's not doing too badly for a third-rate military power."

And while the senator emphasized his opposition to employing ground troops in the Libyan conflict, McCain said the U.S. had to "get its assets back into the air fight" and elsewhere.

"We should recognize the Transition National Council, thereby freeing up money so that they can start financing their operations and providing people with the things they need," McCain said. "Humanitarian efforts, communications capability, facilitate the movement of weapons in not the United States arm but facilitate as we did during the Afghan war."

The former Republican presidential nominee defended recent NATO airstrikes that may have killed members of Muammar Qaddafi's family - including his youngest sons - arguing that the Libyan leader and his family could ostensibly be viewed as part of the command-and-control. (McCain said he could not, however, confirm the deaths.)

"I think if you view Qaddafi himself as part of the command and control, I think you could argue that if he was in one of those places, then it would be part of it," he told Schieffer.

"But, Bob, we tried many times to kill leaders," McCain added. "It's not as easy as you think. So, we should be taking out his command and control. And if he is killed or injured because of that, that's fine. But we ought to have a strategy to help the rebels succeed and overthrow Qaddafi and everybody associated with him."

The Arizona Republican also spoke out against increasing violence by the Syrian government, but said he couldn't currently "see a military option" that would be effective in the situation.

"It's going to be a very bloody time, I'm afraid, in Syria," said McCain. "I think it's clear that [Syrian president Bashar al-Assad] is willing to slaughter his own people. The question is what can we do to affect the outcome? Frankly, I don't see a military option."

Noting a lack of organized opposition to the Syrian government, McCain said America should be focused on increasing pressure on the government through sanctions and "whatever pressures we can bring to bear."

[MORDECHAYAYRIELY]

Benjamin Franklin
God helps them that help themselves
--
Arabs countries should clean their mess.
Arab countrie sre fabulos oil rich,large armies,over 500 million people, controling areas largers than all Europe.
Arabs - start doing for own welfare.
Atop being tois of dictators and theocrats diverting your attention from your problems toward imaginary external enemies.

[Molly-Pchr]

I bet McCain was one of those kids who'd get into the sandbox and start just throwing sand at everybody for no reason.

[user000049586849302948603]

It light of yesterday's events with Osama Bin Laden, doesn't this old coot look like a fool.

Hey McCain, drink your Ensure and shut up.

[Hal1490]

McCain is fully alert and has more guts than Senators half is age. These ad hominem attacks on McCain because of his age are exactly the same as 'birther' attacks on Obama. The democrats started this form of personal attacks. As far as Libya, the US has the chance to be on the right side of history, and the people of Libya. It would be nice to be loved somewhere for once since Korea wouldn't it?

[pasha128]

Sorry John, but Obama had higher priorities, Bin Laden had been located.

No thanks to you or Sarah after withholding the information you claimed to have during the election campaign two years ago. Especially considering that the Obama Plan to maintain an option for armed intervention capability into Pakistan, that was ridiculed by the Tea Party and yourself and Sarah, was the basis of the successful mission very late last night.

[wasadem1]

Back seat of what?

[cbsblogger]

Every USA President needs to have his own war. When was the last POTUS who didn't come up with a reason to bomb someone. It's an ego trip and goes well with the military industrial complex, like ice cream and cherry pie.

Obama has been a Bush lite disappointment.

BUT - Had McCain been President we'd be fighting Iran, Syria, Libya, Jordan and every other country in the ME. But would we be fighting to defend the USA or would it be to secure our little special friend?

[cbsblogger]

Re: Our special friend mentioned above.

Every American has paid dearly and every American should have access to a get away place as a "right of return", but we don't. Instead most Americans just pay and we pay dearly with our lives, taxes and debt, but only 2% of Americans have a right to immigrate. Is it just unfair or is it outrageous?

[user000049586849302948603]

McCain never met a war he didn't want to get us in.

[JRC_903]

I believe, McCain used to be an honorable man. And if you asked him-- he would tell you that he wishes he could be too. But then--the pressures of modern politics seem to make that hard for him. After all, back in the beginning of March--- McCain was calling for armed intervention in Libya. But that was apparently because Obama was not having any of it yet. Then Obama attacked Libya. The fact that McCain suddenly changed stance should have been predictable but who would have known. Then Obama stopped the American role in the fight--- now McCain has reversed himself again. Am I the only one who get the idea that McCain has no real objective here--except to oppose whatever the president does?

[JRC_903]

One thing that really riles me is in hearing an American politician criticize the war time policies of President of the united states war while standing on foreign soil; particularly, the soil of the country we are at war with. Seems a bit unpatriotic to me. But now that McCain is back on American soil-- he is free to say what he wishes.

[documemts]

I have two words for you: "Shock and Awe!".