McCain and Graham spend America’s Independence Day in Afghanistan

Arizona Senator John McCain has made another surprise visit to the Middle East during a US holiday, this time he’s joined by his fellow Republican Senator, South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham.

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The 2008 presidential candidate and his partner in the Senate made a surprise visit to Kabul, Afghanistan to celebrate the 4th of July with the US troops deployed there.

McCain presided over a reenlistment ceremony for about a half dozen U.S. soldiers in Kabul, CBS News reports.

Both Senators had statements to make about the events occurring in Egypt.

“We view with great concern events in Egypt,” said McCain. He said the U.S. wanted the military “to show us a rapid transition back to democracy.”

Sen. Graham said that Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood failed to bring about any real reforms saying, “at the end of the day, they blew the opportunity to save Egypt.”

The visit to Kabul comes

as the United States prepares to draw down its forces in Afghanistan.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force plans to withdraw all international combat troops by the end of 2014 but to keep a residual force in the country to help train Afghans and carry out counterterrorism operations when needed. The size of that force remains under discussion, according to CNN.

During the Memorial Day weekend, McCain traveled to Syria and met with rebels, who he has argued should receive arms from the United States.