Dead Sea, Jordon: US Senator John McCain said Sunday that military action to protect civilians in Syria might be considered now that Nato's air campaign in Libya is ending.

"Now that Libya is wrapped up, all options are on the table for Syria. The [Bashar Al] Assad regime should not assume that it can get away with mass murder," John McCain said, in a clear call for US forces to prepare to intervene in Syria on the side of the protestors.

"People in the Middle East need to know that the US stands with them," said McCain, talking at the World Economic Forum's Special Meeting on the Middle East at the Dead Sea in Jordan. "We are engaging with the Syrian National Council [the umbrella body of protestors], and we see growing defections from the Syrian armed forces, as more Syrians take up arms to resist their government".

McCain is the ranking senator on the Senate's Armed Services Committee, and has a record of taking an active interest in the Middle East. He visited Libya in April to show his solidarity with the anti-Muammar Gaddafi forces. He was also the Republican candidate who stood against Barack Obama.

McCain also spoke of the necessity of working with Islamic political parties, if they emerge successful from the democratic process. "We should welcome anyone who embraces democracy," he said, "and Islamist parties can play an important role and we should encourage them to do so."

As elections are held in several countries in the Arab world, Islamist parties are expected to win some seats in most countries. McCain made the point that what is more important than their political or social policies, is that they should respect the principles of democracy, and work within the laws, accepting that they may win and lose.