|
 During a two-and-a-half-hour hearing, Kerry got pointed questions
about the U.S. failure to end Syria's civil war, prevent Russia's
annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and make peace between the
Israelis and the Palestinians.
While much of the criticism came from Republicans, Senator Robert
Menendez, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, also pushed Kerry on negotiations with Iran on curbing
its nuclear program and on U.S. policy on Syria.
Republicans have been hammering the Obama administration's handling
of foreign policy as weak and ineffectual, hoping to use the issue
to make gains in the U.S. congressional elections in November.
Critics also argue that a perception the administration's foreign
policy is in disarray weakens the United States, making it harder
for Washington to negotiate with Tehran over its nuclear program and
to deter countries such as Russia and China from aggressive behavior
toward their neighbors.
Appearing before the panel, on which he served for 28 years,
including as its chairman, Kerry seemed especially piqued by
criticism from Senator John McCain, a fellow Vietnam War veteran
with whom he worked closely to normalize relations with Hanoi.
"On the major issues, the administration is failing very badly ,"
said McCain, an Arizona Republican who was defeated by Democrat
Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
"Sure we may fail. You want to dump it on me? I may fail. I don't
care. It's worth doing," Kerry shot back. "It's worth the effort and
the United States has a responsibility to lead."
McCain, a critic of Obama's foreign policy, was unflinching.
"You're about to hit the trifecta. Geneva II was a total collapse,
as I predicted to you that it would be," McCain said, referring to a
U.S.-Russian effort to broker a political solution to end Syria's
three-year civil war.
"The Israeli-Palestinian talks, even though you may drag them out
for a while, are finished," McCain added. Talks between Israelis and
Palestinians appear on the brink of unraveling as Kerry's April 29
target for a peace agreement approaches.
[to top of second column] |
"I predict to you that even though we gave the Iranians the right to
enrich (uranium), which is unbelievable, those talks will collapse
too," McCain added, referring to a November 24 accord under which
Iran agreed to restrain its nuclear program in exchange for limited,
temporary relief from economic sanctions.
"On the issue of Ukraine, my hero, Teddy Roosevelt, used to say:
talk softly but carry a big stick," McCain said, referring to former
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. "What you're doing is talking
strongly and carrying a very small stick. In fact, a twig."
Kerry bristled in response.
"Your friend Teddy Roosevelt also said that the credit belongs to
the people who are in the arena who are trying to get things done,"
he said. "And we're trying to get things done."
Senator Bob Corker, the senior Republican on the panel and an Obama
administration ally on some issues, took Kerry to task for U.S.
policy on Syria and especially Obama's decision to pursue an
agreement for Damascus to give up its chemical weapons rather than
to carry out threatened air strikes last year.
"We ended up jumping in Syria's lap. We now sit in the back of the
bus as Iran and Russia really drive policy in Syria," he said,
referring to Iran and Russia's backing of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad.
(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; editing by Paul Simao)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
