McMaster: There ‘Has To Be Significant Change In The Nature Of’ Assad Regime

FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2017 file photo, Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster listens as President Donald Trump makes the announcement at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla.,that McMaster will be the new national se... FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2017 file photo, Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster listens as President Donald Trump makes the announcement at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla.,that McMaster will be the new national security adviser. McMaster’s “Dereliction of Duty,” first published in 1997, was No. 1 on Amazon.com as of Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. The book’s popularity soared after McMaster was chosen Monday by President Donald Trump to replace Michael Flynn, who departed amid questions about contacts he had with the Russian ambassador. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) MORE LESS
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National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster on Sunday said that there “has to be a significant change in the nature of” Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“It has to be a significant change in the nature of the Assad regime and its behavior in particular,” McMaster said on “Fox News Sunday.” “We’re not saying that we are the ones who are going to effect that change.”

He said countries that support Assad’s regime “have to ask themselves some hard questions.”

“Russia should ask themselves, ‘What are we doing here?’ Why are we supporting this murderous regime that is committing mass murder of its own population and using the most heinous weapons available?’” McMaster said.

President Donald Trump on Thursday approved a military strike against a Syrian air field in the wake of an apparent chemical weapons attack in Syria that killed dozens of civilians.

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  1. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    As the McMaster/Mattis branch gain power and influence in the Trump Administration, the war of words escalates and perhaps actual warfare to follow? I’m not counting the forewarned 59 missile hello given the other day.

    Some are speculating this is all a setup for Putin to back off from Syria while gaining sanctions relief in return, but it doesn’t feel that way to me right now.

    I don’t think McMaster plays that game. Maybe this thing is spinning out of Putin’s control?

  2. Wow, they’re really pushing this aren’t they?

    @pshah I think we’re all in the dark about what’s really going on, and what the endgame plan is. And anyone who claims to know is a magical thinker.

  3. Hopefully, the line about not doing it ourselves is a little brushback pitch for Trump. Or Ivanka. Or whoever is pushing his buttons at this particular moment.

  4. The US people “should ask themselves, ‘What are we doing here?’…”

    Fixed it.

    Seriously, Trump is trying to distract us from his criminal acts and corruption by threatening to starting wars with Syria, Russia, and North Korea.

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