McCain chides Russia, Iran for destabilizing Middle East

Iran and Russia have eroded the stability of the Middle East through their military support of Syria's government, Sen John McCain, R-Ariz., said Sunday. Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," McCain again expressed his dismay at the Obama administration's seemingly ineffective Syria policy and accused Tehran and Moscow of propping up Syrian President Bashar Assad enough to create a refugee crisis that was straining neighboring nations. "The whole region has turned into a regional conflict, and who is behind it? The Russians and the Iranians," said McCain. "The weapons flow in from Russia and the training from Iran and all of it is evolved into the situation that we're in today." McCain added it was too early to give up on the Syrian rebels despite the worrisome presence of militant jihadists in the fight against the Syrian government. "There is still viable opposition that we can help and assist," McCain said. "We can do that. Do nothing and, of course, we'll see a further deterioration and a regionalization of the conflict."