Former US Pres. Bill Clinton
Former US Pres. Bill ClintonFlash 90

Former US President Bill Clinton has called on sitting President Barack Obama to support the rebel forces against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad more forcefully.

According to a report posted on the Politico.com website, Clinton agreed with Senator John McCain on the issue, saying the American public elects presidents and Congress members to "look around the corner and see down the road.... They hire you to win."

He warned that Obama risked looking like "a total fool" if he chose to listen too closely to opinion polls or to act with too much caution.

"Some people say, ‘Okay, see what a big mess it is? Stay out!’ I think that’s a big mistake. I agree with you about this," Clinton was quoted as saying during an event Tuesday night in New York City for the McCain Institute for International Leadership.

"Sometimes it’s just best to get caught trying, as long as you don’t overcommit – like, as long as you don’t make an improvident commitment."

McCain, who met with rebel commanders during a recent visit to Syria, spoke about the growing problems in the Middle East and urged the U.S. to seize the moment, Politico reported.

"Nobody is asking for American soldiers in Syria," Clinton pointed out. "The only question is now that the Russians, the Iranians and the Hizbullah are in there head over heels, 90 miles to nothing, should we try to do something to try to slow their gains and rebalance the power so that these rebel groups have a decent chance, if they’re supported by a majority of the people, to prevail?"