May 29th, 2017 - Fort Russ News -
- Agencies - - by Samer Hussein -
US Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain has once again been spotted ranting against Russia after declaring the country and its President Vladimir Putin a “bigger threat to global security than ISIS.”
During his Monday trip to Canberra, Australia, McCain also said he was confident that Donald Trump's administration will eventually stabilize Afghanistan. The statement came in the wake of Australian announcement of boosting its cooperation in the Afghan training mission, supervised by US.
“I believe this national security team that is around the President now, General MacMaster, General Kelly and General Mattis - they are developing a strategy and that strategy means victory,” McCain was heard saying.
However, during an interview with the ABC's 7.30, McCain also said Trump sometimes makes him feel a bit nervous about international security.
The chair of the US Senate's powerful armed services committee also said the US-Australian alliance was “more important than ever” in the wake of war on terror and tensions in Korean peninsula.
Senator McCain is visiting the region in order to attend security talks with Australian officials.
His visit also sends a “reassuring message” after Donald Trump and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's personal relationship became a bit rough during their first phone call back in January when the two statesmen were discussing the issue of refugee crisis.
In the interview on Monday night, McCain considered Putin as the main threat to international security.
“I think ISIS can do terrible things and I worry a lot about what is happening with the Muslim faith,” he was heard saying.
“But it's the Russians who tried to destroy the very fundamentals of democracy and that is to change the outcome of an American election”, he added.
During his tour in Australia, McCain met with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne and opposition leader Bill Shorten. On Tuesday he will also meet with Prime Minister Turnbull.
"We are certainly in very interesting times and our relationship in my view is more important than it's ever been," McCain told Bishop.
He also said China's “aggressive territorial ambitions in the South China Sea” are a bit worrying and expressed hope Australia will eventually side with Washington against Beijing as regards the issue.
“I do not predict confrontation with China. I think it would be of the utmost seriousness, but I do believe in freedom of navigation. I believe that it is clearly illegal to be filling in these islands. I understand the importance of Chinese trade with Australia and I think it's very legitimate. But when it comes to standing up for human rights and the basic principles which guided both democracies for all this time, I think it will always come down in favour of the United States”, McCain was heard saying.
He then warned China not to offer its hand to North Korea in the latter’s nuclear program, otherwise the whole thing could “escalate” to the new missile crisis, similar to that once seen in Cuba.
Senator McCain was reportedly given a “warm welcome” by the Australian House of Representatives chamber where he received a rather strong applause, with Australian Prime Minister Turnbull praising him “as one of the strongest voices - none stronger - in the United States today, pushing for the Australian-American alliance”.
The statement of McCain about Russia and Putin is, however, a bit ironic.
At the moment, Russia is involved in fighting intense battles with ISIS terrorists in Syria, many of whom formerly used to belong to the so-called “moderate” Syrian rebels before branding themselves as “ISIS”. Thousands of ISIS targets were destroyed by Russian Air Force since the start of the mission back in September 2015.
It is noteworthy that McCain is a staunch supporter of the so-called “moderate Syrian rebels” and even met with their leadership back in 2013.
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