Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., ripped President Donald Trump's decision to cease U.S. aid to Syrian rebels a day after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
Trump has reportedly decided to terminate a covert CIA program to arm and train Syrian rebels fighting against President Bashar al-Assad. The Washington Post suggested on Wednesday that the president made his choice in an attempt to "work with Russia," which opposed the program.
"If these reports are true, the administration is playing right into the hands of Vladimir Putin," McCain said in a statement Thursday. "Making any concession to Russia, absent a broader strategy for Syria, is irresponsible and short-sighted. The administration has yet to articulate its vision for Syria beyond the defeat of ISIL, let alone a comprehensive approach to the Middle East."
He adds that "A key pillar of American strategy must be the removal of Assad from power as part of an end to the brutal conflict in Syria, which has fueled ISIL's growth through its cruelty, extended malign Iranian influence, and undermined broader regional stability. Six months into this administration, there is still no new strategy for victory in Afghanistan either. It is now mid-July, when the administration promised to deliver that strategy to Congress, and we are still waiting."
Despite his illness, McCain promised he'll "be back soon" in a tweet Thursday morning.
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