The office of the Arizona senator has confirmed reports that he made a secret trip into war-torn Syria on Monday and met with rebels in that country for several hours.

McCain has been a zealous advocate for more aggressive military action in Syria and he has repeatedly criticized President Obama for not taking his advice.

By law, senators are not allowed to make foreign policy during their trips abroad, which are meant to be fact finding in nature. McCain’s clandestine visit with Gen. Salem Idris of the Free Syrian Army has upstaged the high profile negotiations between the actual secretary of state, John Kerry, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris on Monday.

BBC:

US media report that Sen McCain, the top Republican on the Senate armed services committee, entered Syria through Turkey and was on the ground there for several hours.

According to the Daily Beast, a US online news publication, Sen McCain met General Salem Idris, chief of staff of the rebel Free Syrian Army.

Gen Idris reportedly called for weapons to continue their fight, as well as a no-fly zone and air strikes on government targets.

These are all steps that Sen McCain has previously urged the Obama administration to take.

Read more

— Posted by Peter Z. Scheer.