McCain urges support for Islamic counterterrorism alliance

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) released a statement last week supporting the alliance by Muslim nations to fight terrorists.

As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, McCain spoke positively of the counterterrorism alliance formed by 34 Muslim nations as a game-changing development in the fight against terrorism.

"This alliance is a potentially consequential development in the global fight against terrorism, and I commend Saudi Arabia’s leadership in bringing this group together," McCain said. "After years of strategic drift in the Middle East, I urge the [President Barack Obama] administration to offer its full support to this alliance and renew efforts to integrate Sunni Arab nations into a comprehensive strategy to destroy ISIL and other terrorist groups.”

The Senate Armed Services Committee provides legislative oversight over the U.S. military, including the Department of Defense. The bipartisan committee is primarily made up of veterans serving in the Senate and senators who have major defense interests in their home states.