Foreign Policy "Expert" McCain Thinks Iran = al Qaeda

by: Brandon Friedman

Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 13:21:34 PM EDT


Self-styled Iraq expert John McCain inadvertently revealed the limits of his foreign policy expertise today on a trip to Jordan:

He said several times that Iran, a predominately Shiite country, was supplying the mostly Sunni militant group, al-Qaeda. In fact, officials have said they believe Iran is helping Shiite extremists in Iraq.

Speaking to reporters in Amman, the Jordanian capital, McCain said he and two Senate colleagues traveling with him continue to be concerned about Iranian operatives "taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back."

Pressed to elaborate, McCain said it was "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate."

That's the point at which his warmongering buddy, Senator Joe Lieberman--seeing the impending train wreck--stepped in.

A few moments later, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, standing just behind McCain, stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate's ear. McCain then said: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."

I know I keep harping on Senator McCain, but this type of thing is really unacceptable for a guy who keeps telling everyone how much more he knows about foreign policy than they do.  It's jaw-droppingly sad that, 6 ½ years into the war with al Qaeda, and 5 years into the Iraq War, John McCain still doesn't know what al Qaeda is or where it comes from.  

We cannot afford to have this bumbling guy answer the red phone in the White House at 3:00 AM.  This is the type of muddled thinking that got us into Iraq in the first place.

Brandon Friedman :: Foreign Policy "Expert" McCain Thinks Iran = al Qaeda
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This troubled me. (4.00 / 2)

He promised that, if elected president, he would uphold a long-term military commitment in Iraq as long as al-Qaida in Iraq is not defeated.

How can  we have defeat an organization that exists only to get us out of Iraq? Thats kind of like saying "I am only going to take my hand out of the fire once it stops burning my hand."


McCain is a (0.00 / 0)
You have to keep on putting out the word that this guy(McCain) is an idiot.  I hope and pray that we can stop all this insane killing.  I cannot understand how people can say they love GOD and then vote for someone who love wars.  This is why I was so shocked when Bush won again.  All I can say is that this country loves war more then peace.  I know we need a strong military.  But we do not have to destroy country's and lives to show how strong you are.

Oh dear... (0.00 / 0)
...this is as bad as when the Huckster said Ba'athist insurgents had smuggled WMDs into Jordan (an ally of ours) after the invasion.  

I supported McCain in 2000 (0.00 / 0)
I supported McCain in 2000, campaigned and voted for him in the primary.  Now I have to wonder if he was always like this, or if his status as a loyal Bushie has cost him IQ points.  He lost my support for good when he voted for Bush's Military Commissions Act (aka the torture bill).  

Conflation (0.00 / 0)
  The current public affairs tactic is to equate all violence in Iraq with Al-Qaeda.  I almost can't blame McCain; his visit to Iraq probably consisted of sitting through briefing after briefing in which every person with a gun in the entire Middle East is called "Al Qaeda".  Military shorthand is becoming media reality...

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