The Hill News

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Monday that he doesn't think it would be appropriate for the U.S. or NATO to intervene militarily in Syria the way they had in Libya.

McCain, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been an advocate for U.S. intervention in Libya, but said that he didn't think similar action would have much additional benefit in Syria.

"I don't see a scenario right now or anytime in the near future where the injection of U.S. or NATO military action would in any way beneficially help the situation, I'm sorry to say," McCain said on NBC's "Today" show.

The Syrian military has used violence against anti-government protesters, according to reports, in a manner reminiscent of the strong-armed tactics used by Col. Moammar Gadhafi against the people of Libya.

Gadhafi's use of violence prompted the U.S. to join a NATO effort to prevent bloodshed in Libya, an intervention President Obama justifi! ed on humanitarian grounds, but which the White House has said shouldn't be seen as precedent for any future action.

Obama issued a statement on Friday condemning the Syrian government's latest action.

"We strongly oppose the Syrian government’s treatment of its citizens and we continue to oppose its continued destabilizing behavior more generally, including support for terrorism and terrorist groups," he said. "The United States will continue to stand up for democracy and the universal rights that all human beings deserve, in Syria and around the world."