Two senior Republican senators criticize Tillerson comments on RussiaWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two senior Republican U.S. senators criticized Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday for saying that Russia may have the “right approach” on Syria and for what they called his lack of focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan. “His statements about Syria really disturb me. No, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin does not have it right when it comes to Syria,” Senator Lindsey Graham said. In separate television interviews, Graham and Senator John McCain, prominent Republican foreign policy voices, took aim at Tillerson’s remarks last week that Russia may have “got the right approach” and the United States the wrong approach to Syria. Russia has backed President Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s civil war, while the United States supports rebel groups trying to overthrow him. McCain told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he “sometimes” regretted backing Tillerson’s nomination by Republican President Donald Trump and that his comments on Russia being “right” on Syria made him emotional and upset. “I know what the slaughter has been like. I know that the Russians knew that Bashar Assad was going to use chemical weapons. And to say that maybe we’ve got the wrong approach?” he said. Both senators backed the nomination of Tillerson in January, even while expressing concern about his dealings with Russia when he was chief executive of ExxonMobil. (XOM.N) Graham, who visited Afghanistan and Pakistan last week with McCain, accused Tillerson of being “AWOL” on the two countries and failing to fill key State Department posts. “I am so worried about the State Department,” Graham said  on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” A State Department official responded to the criticism of Tillerson by saying that a U.S.-Russian-brokered ceasefire for southwest Syria was an example of what the secretary had described as the potential to coordinate with Russia, in spite of unresolved differences, “to produce stability and serve our mutual security interests.” The official, who did not want to be identified, also said the State Department was taking an active role in a review of Afghanistan and Pakistan policy and continued to work with the White House on nominations. Since the exit of most foreign troops in 2014, Afghanistan’s U.S.-backed government has lost ground to a Taliban insurgency in a war that kills and maims thousands of civilians each year. politicsNews
two senior republican senators criticize tillerson comments russiawashington reuters two senior republican senators criticized secretary state rex tillerson sunday saying russia may right approach syria called lack focus afghanistan pakistan his statements syria really disturb no russian president vladimir putin right comes syria senator lindsay graham said in separate television interviews graham senator john mccain prominent republican foreign policy voices took aim tillerson remarks last week russia may got right approach united states wrong approach syria russia backed president basal syria civil war united states supports rebel groups trying overthrow mccain told cbs face nation sometimes regretted backing tillerson nomination republican president donald trump comments russia right syria made emotional upset i know slaughter like i know russian knew basal assad going use chemical weapons and say maybe got wrong approach said both senators backed nomination tillerson january even expressing concern dealings russia chief executive exxonmobil graham visited afghanistan pakistan last week mccain accused tillerson arol two countries failing fill key state department posts i worried state department graham said nbc meet a state department official responded criticism tillerson saying ceasefire southwest syria example secretary described potential coordinate russia spite unresolved differences produce stability serve mutual security the official want identified also said state department taking active role review afghanistan pakistan policy continued work white house nominations since exit foreign troops afghanistan government lost ground taliban insurgency war kills aims thousands civilians year politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Two senior Republican senators criticize Tillerson comments on RussiaWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two senior Republican U.S. senators criticized Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday for saying that Russia may have the “right approach” on Syria and for what they called his lack of focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan. “His statements about Syria really disturb me. No, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin does not have it right when it comes to Syria,” Senator Lindsey Graham said. In separate television interviews, Graham and Senator John McCain, prominent Republican foreign policy voices, took aim at Tillerson’s remarks last week that Russia may have “got the right approach” and the United States the wrong approach to Syria. Russia has backed President Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s civil war, while the United States supports rebel groups trying to overthrow him. McCain told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he “sometimes” regretted backing Tillerson’s nomination by Republican President Donald Trump and that his comments on Russia being “right” on Syria made him emotional and upset. “I know what the slaughter has been like. I know that the Russians knew that Bashar Assad was going to use chemical weapons. And to say that maybe we’ve got the wrong approach?” he said. Both senators backed the nomination of Tillerson in January, even while expressing concern about his dealings with Russia when he was chief executive of ExxonMobil. (XOM.N) Graham, who visited Afghanistan and Pakistan last week with McCain, accused Tillerson of being “AWOL” on the two countries and failing to fill key State Department posts. “I am so worried about the State Department,” Graham said  on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” A State Department official responded to the criticism of Tillerson by saying that a U.S.-Russian-brokered ceasefire for southwest Syria was an example of what the secretary had described as the potential to coordinate with Russia, in spite of unresolved differences, “to produce stability and serve our mutual security interests.” The official, who did not want to be identified, also said the State Department was taking an active role in a review of Afghanistan and Pakistan policy and continued to work with the White House on nominations. Since the exit of most foreign troops in 2014, Afghanistan’s U.S.-backed government has lost ground to a Taliban insurgency in a war that kills and maims thousands of civilians each year. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: two senior republican senators criticize tillerson comments russiawashington reuters two senior republican senators criticized secretary state rex tillerson sunday saying russia may right approach syria called lack focus afghanistan pakistan his statements syria really disturb no russian president vladimir putin right comes syria senator lindsay graham said in separate television interviews graham senator john mccain prominent republican foreign policy voices took aim tillerson remarks last week russia may got right approach united states wrong approach syria russia backed president basal syria civil war united states supports rebel groups trying overthrow mccain told cbs face nation sometimes regretted backing tillerson nomination republican president donald trump comments russia right syria made emotional upset i know slaughter like i know russian knew basal assad going use chemical weapons and say maybe got wrong approach said both senators backed nomination tillerson january even expressing concern dealings russia chief executive exxonmobil graham visited afghanistan pakistan last week mccain accused tillerson arol two countries failing fill key state department posts i worried state department graham said nbc meet a state department official responded criticism tillerson saying ceasefire southwest syria example secretary described potential coordinate russia spite unresolved differences produce stability serve mutual security the official want identified also said state department taking active role review afghanistan pakistan policy continued work white house nominations since exit foreign troops afghanistan government lost ground taliban insurgency war kills aims thousands civilians year politicsnews