Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) criticized Obama’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan Wednesday, saying "The president is now signaling to the Taliban, 'hang on, because we're leaving.'"
Appearing on Andrea Mitchell Reports, McCain said the withdrawal "tells the Afghans they're going to be on their own, no matter what." He argued that the Afghan military "are not prepared for a total lack of United States support in a number of areas, particularly air assets."
The senator "had hoped that the president had learned a lesson" in Iraq, where "now the black flags of al Qaeda fly over Fallujah."
McCain also complained that Obama "keeps setting up this intellectual dishonest straw man, that there are those who either want to do nothing or those who want to send in the military," referencing debates over U.S. involvement in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
"It's a matter of our reliability," McCain said, citing Obama’s failure to follow through with his "red line" on Syria. "And around the world they believe we're unreliable."