McCain, Graham call for ‘decisive actions’ in Syria

The two senators called for the use of “stand-off weapons, without boots on the ground,” which they said would create limited risk to U.S. troops by could “significantly degrade Assad’s air power and ballistic missile capabilities.”

{mosads}They also called for new efforts to train and equipment “moderate, vetted elements” of the Syrian opposition. And they suggested giving these troops “game-changing weapons” that they need to fight Syrian President Bashar Assad.

McCain and Graham said the Syrian civil war has already led to 100,000 deaths in that country and is threatening U.S. allies in the Middle East.

“It is not in our national security interest for this conflict to grind on, as some suggest,” they said. “To the contrary, as we have clearly seen, the longer the conflict in Syria goes on, the worse and worse it gets and the more it spreads throughout the region.

“Instead, we must work to end this conflict as soon as possible by taking decisive steps that can shift the balance of power on the battlefield against Assad and his forces.”