Sputnik - US Senator John McCain (R-AZ), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has expressed in a statement his support for the US strikes on Syria and called for a new strategy in the region.




Earlier in�the day, the United States, the United Kingdom and France have launched airstrikes at�Syrian targets over�reports of�a chemical attack in�the city of�Duma, allegedly carried out�by the Syrian government.
"I applaud the President for�taking military action against�the [Syrian President Bashar] Assad regime for�its latest use of�chemical weapons, and for�signaling his resolve to�do so again if these heinous attacks continue," the senator said in�a statement.


McCain thanked the United Kingdom and France for�also launching strikes and expressed hope that the strikes would "impose meaningful costs on�Assad."
"To succeed in�the long run, we need a comprehensive strategy for�Syria and the entire region. The President needs to�lay out�our goals, not just with�regard to�ISIS, but�also the ongoing conflict in�Syria and malign Russian and Iranian influence in�the region. Airstrikes disconnected from�a broader strategy may be necessary, but�they alone will not achieve U.S. objectives in�the Middle East," McCain concluded.


Damascus has refuted the allegations of�the attack, while Moscow has warned that the reports of�the attack could be a provocation.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said at�a briefing on�Friday that the video with�the victims of�the alleged Duma chemical attack receiving first aid, shared on�the social media, was staged. According to�the spokesman, the participants of�the video were found, and they revealed the truth about�the filming.