Sen. McCain talks Syria, Iran and tensions

This is a rush transcript from "Fox News Sunday," May 27, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

CHRIS WALLACE, ANCHOR: I'm Chris Wallace.

On this Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. faces military and diplomatic challenges. We'll discuss stalled talks with Iran, continuing tensions with Pakistan, and the war in Afghanistan with one of the GOP's leading voices on foreign policy, Senator John McCain.

Then, Catholic institutions take the Obama administration to court about its insurance mandate on contraception. Is it an issue of religious freedom or women's health? We'll ask a top church official pushing the legal challenge, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington.

Plus, are President Obama's attacks on Mitt Romney's business record working? We'll ask our Sunday group which side has the winning message.

And power player of the week. Remarkable story of devotion to country and sacrifice you won't want to miss.

All right now on "Fox News Sunday."

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WALLACE: And hello again on this Memorial Day weekend from Fox News in Washington.

As we remember those who had given their lives defending our country, we continue to face foreign policy challenges. Here to tackle all that is Senator John McCain.

And, Senator, welcome back to "Fox News Sunday."

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ.: Well, thanks for having me on, especially on Memorial Day.

WALLACE: There has been another massacre in Syria. Government forces killed more than 90 people, including more than 30 children. You can see some of the bodies stuck up like cordwood here, in the village of Houla. And the White House has apparently decided going to start vetting some of the rebels to see whether or not they are Islamic radicals and then perhaps to let other Arab countries arm them. Is that enough?

MCCAIN: Of course not. It is about a year too late. You know, this is a shameful episode in American history. It began back in 2009, when we refused -- when the president of the United States refused to speak up on behalf of the demonstrators in the streets of Tehran and gone from one episode to another.

Here we have over a year and we're now talking about possibly vetting some people. Nearly 10,000 people have died. This is a brutal regime of incredible proportions. And, by the way, if Bashar Assad failed, in the world of General Mathis, the head of our Central Command, it is the greatest blow to Iran in the last 25 years because it would cut off them from Hezbollah, Syrian is the most important client state, et cetera.

Horrible things are happening in Syria. This administration has a feckless foreign policy which abandons American leadership. I know because I visit with these people, that they are ready to help these people and they are helping them some. But it cries out for American leadership.

American leadership is not there.

WALLACE: Let me follow up there. There's a story on the front page of The New York Times today that President Obama is considering trying to get Assad out diplomatically with the help of the Russians. How likely do you think that is?

MCCAIN: Again, here we are a year later and 10,000 killed and main supplier of arms, we are going to convince them our hopes rest on convincing them to ease out Assad, comparing it to Yemen which there is no comparison.

It's really just a sad story. And what the conclusion you can draw is that this president wants to kick the can down the road on all of these issues until after the election. Medvedev -- telling Vlad I'll be more flexible after I'm reelected.

And it's really an abdication of everything that America stands for and believes in. And on Memorial Day, we should be especially moved by this incredible inaction and failure to assert American leadership.

WALLACE: You were saying just before we came on the air that you see a pattern -- in Syria, in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, with the Pakistanis thumbing their nose at us by taking this doctor who apparently helped to find bin Laden, sentencing him for 30 years in prison treason, that you see a pattern of the other countries sort of dissing the U.S.

MCCAIN: You have to look at it in its entirety because when you look at one country, you are puzzled. This has to do with a foreign policy led by a president who does not believe in American exceptionalism.

So, it began in Iran when we failed to stand up in 2009. In Libya, we, quote, "led from behind". The war was much longer because we didn't use American air power.

With Iran, clearly, we're kicking the can down the road. How many times have seen North Korea and Iran in these different negotiations that have taken place?

In Afghanistan, obviously, the Taliban believed that we are leaving.

In Pakistan, why would they directly insult America by putting a doctor who helped us apprehend and take out the most notorious terrorist in the world and they put him in prison for 33 years. It's because the Pakistanis believe that we are leaving. This president -- have you ever heard the word "victory" come through the lips of this president. We are always talking about withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal.

And, of course, Iraq is unraveling because we didn't leave a residual force there and in the negotiations with Iran. Could I just give you a quote of Catherine Ashton, who is the E.U. foreign policy chief about the negotiations with Iran?

Quote, "What we have now is some common ground and a meeting place where we can take that further or forward."

I'm not making that up. So, we continue we continue -- they're going to meet in Moscow next week, and meanwhile we are accepting enriched uranium, which we had said they couldn't do, and the Iranians have not been deterred.

Meanwhile, the Israelis are watching with great concern as there is no chance in the progress --

WALLACE: Let me ask you about Iran. As you say, there was a round of talks and all they agreed was another round of talks next month in Moscow, meanwhile the Iranians continue to install more centrifuges and there were also traces found at one of the sites of highly enriched uranium than we know about -- not 20 percent but 27 percent.

Question: is it time to give up on diplomacy?

MCCAIN: I think that it is time to draw red lines for the United States and Israel together. The president of the United States said it is unacceptable to get nuclear weapons and --

WALLACE: What do you mean by red line?

MCCAIN: Stopped the enrichment, allow the IAEA inspectors in --

WALLACE: And give them a deadline.

MCCAIN: At least red lines. If you cross the red line all options are on the table.

WALLACE: Well, you all options are on the table, we always sat that.

MCCAIN: I can't sit here in front of you and say I'm absolutely in favor of military action. But there has to be a red line that they cross they must face the consequences.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/2012/05/27/sen-mccain-talks-syria-iran-and-tensions-pakistan-cardinal-wuerl-catholic-institutions-vs#ixzz1wC3lrGzw