Hagel and Syria

On Feb. 26, former Sen. Chuck Hagel was confirmed as US defense secretary. The campaign against Hagel’s confirmation was an embarrassment and a loser for those who waged it, as Akiva Eldar wrote this week. The allegation of an anti-Israel bias by Hagel continues to be revealed as the falsehood it was from the start.  Former Israeli Consul General in New York Alon Pinkas, a regular contributor to Al-Monitor, wrote elsewhere this week that Hagel is “a friend in the Pentagon” for Israel. Israeli President Shimon Peres lauded Hagel’s appointment.

As Hagel takes over at the Pentagon, it's worth recalling an exchange he had with Sen. John McCain about Syria during his confirmation hearing on Jan. 31.  McCain asked Hagel: “How many more would have to die before you would support a — arming the resistance and establishing a new fly zone — no-fly zone?”

Hagel responded, “I don’t think anyone questions the terrible tragedy that is occurring there every day. It’s a matter of how best do we work our way through this so that we can stop it, does — to begin with. And then what comes next? I think the president was pretty clear on this. ”