SORKIN: Joining us now, one of those amigos, Sen. John McCain the Republican senator from Arizona, and the 2008 presidential candidate. Good morning to you, senator, thank you for being with us.
MCCAIN: Thanks.
SORKIN: So curious, if you go in and you do intervene in Syria, and the rebels were to take over, and it doesn’t work exactly as planned, what happens then? That’s the flip side to this, right?
MCCAIN: Well, one thing that would happen is that Syria would be split from Iran and Gen. Matus, the head of Central Command, said that if Assad failed it would be the biggest blow to Iran in 25 years. It would cut off Lebanon from Iranian influence, Hezbollah would probably wither--it would be a seismic event. But most importantly, look, most importantly people are being massacred, children are being maimed, raped, tortured--10,000 people estimates are--8,000 to 10,000 people have already been massacred and the united states does that have ability with other nations to bring this to a halt, as we were able to do in Libya. All situations are different but the principle is the same. The same reason we went into Bosnia, the same reason we went to Kosovo--it’s because of what America is about, when we can do something about it, we do something about it. We should be ashamed.
SORKIN: But do you consider this a national security issue as well?
MCCAIN: The president has stated that prevention of massacre and ethnic cleansing is a national security issue, and it should be.