US Senator John McCain speaks at the Brookings Institution on June 6, 2013.<\/p>\n
Influential American Senator John McCain says if the US does not expand its engagement in Syria by sending missiles to militants, it would see the Middle East slide into \u00c5\u201cextremism.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
McCain told the Brookings Institution think-tank on Thursday that “the Syrian state is disintegrating in much of the country, leaving vast ungoverned spaces that are being filled by extremists, many aligned with Al-Qaeda.”\n<\/p>\n
Since meeting militant commanders in Syria more than a week ago, it is the second time McCain calls for arming the anti-Syria groups. Earlier in the week, the senator said the government of President Bashar al-Assad has \u00c5\u201cthe upper hand\u201d in Syria now and the failure to send weapons to the militants would make any future peace talks with Damascus tough.\n<\/p>\n
“We could use our stand-off weapons, such as cruise missiles, to target Assad’s aircraft and ballistic missile launchers on the ground,” McCain said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
“We could enable a provisional government to establish itself in a safe zone in Syria that we could help to protect with Patriot missiles. And we could organize a full-scale operation to train and equip Syrian opposition forces.”<\/p>\n
McCain\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s call came on the same day that Syrian forces liberated the Quneitra Crossing, which is situated between Syria and the Golan Heights, after heavy clashes with anti-government gunmen.\n<\/p>\n
This came after the Syrian Army recaptured the strategic town of Qusayr on Wednesday following three weeks of fighting with the militants.\n<\/p>\n
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