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Juan Williams: Obama 'Lost,' 'Rudderless' on Syria

February 19, 2014

Liberal Fox News contributor Juan Williams called the Obama administration "lost" and "rudderless" on Syria policy Wednesday during a Special Report panel discussion.

With news of faltering peace talks during the bloody Syrian civil war and Bashar al-Assad's forces on the move, the White House has found itself increasingly on the defensive with regards to the dictator that Obama once predicted confidently would soon be out of power.  Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) blasted Obama Tuesday in a CNN interview for "doing nothing" while the death toll rises there, and the president himself has acknowledged diplomacy is failing and "the state of Syria itself is crumbling."

During the panel, Williams said he agreed with host Bret Baier's classification of the country as a "viper pit" due to the terrorist influences infecting the country.

Full exchange:

BRET BAIER: Is there a policy in regards to Syria, Juan? What you think the administration policy is now as it stands today with Syria?

JUAN WILLIAMS: They're lost. They don't know what to do. That's why you're hearing all this talk about looking for a range of options that apparently does not include a military option. The option is on the table from last week when the president met with the King is whether or not you allow the Saudis to get more involved.

BAIER: King Abdullah of Jordan.

WILLIAMS: Right. But if you allow the arming of the rebels there, of course, then you have to worry that those weapons could slip into the hands of the very extremists and al Qaeda affiliates that we know are among the viper pit, as you accurately described it. So, I don't know exactly what their options are. They're said to be engaged in a review, but you'd have to say at this moment, the administration is rudderless.