Republican Senator John McCain -- a former presidential candidate and an outspoken advocate for U.S. military aid to the Syrian opposition -- met with some of the rebels today (May 27, 2013) during a surprise visit to the war-torn country, according to the Reuters website.
Spokesman Brian Rogers confirmed McCain's meeting with the rebels, but declined to give any details about the visit, which may fuel pressure on Washington to intervene in a conflict that has claimed some 80,000 lives.
The visit came as U.S.Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pledged to do their utmost to bring Syria's warring parties together, and new allegations surfaced about chemical weapons being used in the civil war.
General Salem Idris -- who leads the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army -- said that McCain's visit came at a critical time for the rebels, who have stepped up their calls for U.S. support, including heavy weapons, creation of a no-fly zone, and air strikes.
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