The Russian airstrikes in Syria appear to show Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “true intentions” in that country—to prop up Syrian President Bashar al Assad and maintain a strong foothold in the Middle East, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said on the Senate floor Wednesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 27 people were killed in Russian airstrikes, including six children, in an area not controlled by ISIS, McCain said. The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, long in opposition to President Obama’s policy in Syria, said American indecision and caution has been taken as weakness by Russia, allowing Putin to begin striking at targets that oppose Assad. Inaction in Syria “has confused our friends and encouraged our enemies,” McCain said.
More than two dozen F-35 Lightning II fighters are heading to Kingsley Field, Ore., after Air Force Secretary Troy Meink signed the official record of decision to base the jets there on Oct. 5, clearing the last bureaucratic hurdle for the Air National Guard base to host the service’s third…