Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), President Obama's nominee to lead the Defense Department, defended the administration's response to the on-going civil war in Syria on Thursday.

"How many more would have to die before you would support before arming resistance and establishing a no fly zone?" asked Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

"It's a matter of how best do we work our way through this so we can stop it," responded Hagel, adding that the Obama administration has been "very engaged" in the country.