John McCain

The best way to deal with Assad is to transition him out so that the moderate opposition can fill the vacuum.

After 4,000 dead and the country dismembered and 4,000 more Russian troops invading eastern Ukraine, and you think it is something that should be looked at.

A lot of them have died. And we did not do all of those things you are saying, and there is ample proof by the fact of the situation that they are in today.

I think it is inevitable that, you know, given that unrest and instability, they are trying to take advantage of that situation.

We remain cautiously hopeful that there will be a credible election that takes place.

It is not normal. It is not. And the relations between Qatar and Iran are also troubling.

The Qataris continue to provide funding to the most extreme elements, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

I am not so worried about a nuclear Iran, in this case, I am worried about Iranian arms and equipping the opposition.

We cannot have our representatives thrown out of a country that is supposed to be a friend of ours.

The United States will continue to urge that Fiji continue the progress, build on this progress.

I think there is always a risk of outside powers getting involved in a situation like in Bahrain.

The treatment of Tom Malinowski is not an acceptable situation.

I have a special feeling for Fiji, and I wish you well. They have been through a terrible, difficult time.

This is a serious problem of Qatar's assistance to these radical elements and funding which is going on as we speak.

I could not disagree with you more. It is unprecedented what the other countries did when they withdrew their ambassadors.

Is it a drift toward authoritarianism?

It is a drift in that direction, yes, Senator.

Are you concerned about Prime Minister Erdogan's desire to change the constitution and other actions that we have seen on the part of Erdogan as a drift toward authoritarianism?

I think it is a terrible idea.

Do you believe that many of the things, actions that he has taken--suppressing the social media, YouTube and Twitter, restrictions on Internet freedom and independent media--is this a drift toward authoritarianism?

I think the nations of ASEAN certainly have taken notice that the Chinese are not living up to their obligations.

We have been quite clear on what we expect in terms of progress on human rights.

But you would agree that we have done so far has not had a deterrent effect.

I think that we have spelled out a pretty robust strategy for pushing back against the Chinese starting in the East China Sea.

Unless they show a significant amount of progress in reducing flow of children into our country, I and others will be seeking to reducing that funding dramatically.