McCain Mistakenly Says Iran Allowing Al Qaeda Fighters Into Country, Later Corrects Error
AMMAN, Jordan — Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting, mistakenly said Tuesday that Iran was allowing Al Qaeda fighters into the country to be trained and returned to Iraq.
McCain, expressing concern about Iran’s rising sway in the Mideast, said, “Al Qaeda is going back into Iran and is receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran.” He made the comments Tuesday at a news conference in Jordan; he made similar comments earlier to radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt.
Iran is a predominantly Shiite Muslim country and has been at pains to close its borders to Al Qaeda fighters of the rival Sunni sect.
Iran has been accused by the United States of funding, training and arming Iraqi Shiite militants in their uprising against the United States. But there have been no allegations by Washington and no evidence that Al Qaeda has benefited from Iranian assistance.
After Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut who was traveling with McCain, stepped forward to whisper in the candidate’s ear, McCain said: “I’m sorry; the Iranians are training the extremists, not Al Qaeda. Not Al Qaeda. I’m sorry.”
McCain, who has linked his political future to U.S. success in Iraq, had just completed his eighth visit to Iraq. He was in the wartorn country on Monday for meetings with Iraqi and U.S. diplomatic and military officials.
McCain’s gaffe immediately drew criticism from the Democratic National Committee, which insisted he must not understand the challenges facing Iraq.
“Not only is Senator McCain wrong on Iraq once again, but he showed he either doesn’t understand the challenges facing Iraq and the region or is willing to ignore the facts on the ground,” said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney.
McCain also voiced similar concern that Tehran is bringing militants over the border into Iran for training before sending them back to fight U.S. troops in Iraq, and he blamed Syria for allegedly continuing to expedite a flow of foreign fighters.
“We continue to be concerned about Iranian influence and assistance to Hezbollah as well as Iranian pursuit of nuclear weapons,” McCain said.
He added that, if elected president, he would coordinate better with Europe to impose a “broad range of sanctions and punishments” on Tehran, to “convince them that their activities, particularly development of nuclear weapons, is not a beneficial goal to seek.”
McCain declined to comment on whether he could back an eventual decision to strike Iran if Tehran doesn’t cease its nuclear activities.
In response to a question about possible U.S. strikes against Tehran, McCain only said: “At the end of the day, we cannot afford having a nuclear-armed Iran.”
In addition, McCain noted U.S. military officials recently discovered a cache of armor-piercing bombs in Iraq, and he hinted the explosives had been provided by Iran. U.S. officials have long been saying that Iran provides explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs to, Shiite militias in Iraq, although the Iranian government denies any role.
The U.S. military reported two such finds during the past week.
McCain warned that any hasty pullout from Iraq would be a mistake that would favor Iran and Al Qaeda.
“We continue to be very concerned about the Iranian influence in Iraq and in the region,” McCain said.
McCain ran into trouble last year when he joked about bombing Iran, giving a campaign audience in South Carolina a rendition of the opening lyrics of the Beach Boys rock classic “Barbara Ann,” calling the tune “Bomb Iran” and changing the words to “bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, anyway, ah …”
Later Tuesday, McCain received a celebrity welcome in Jerusalem, beginning a two-day visit to Israel with a stop at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. As his motorcade pulled up dozens of tourists greeted him and chanted “Mac is back,” as he shook their hands and posed for photographs.
During his 90-minute visit at the memorial and museum, McCain was visibly moved, his eyes welling with tears as he viewed photographs from Nazi death camps.
Wearing a skullcap placed on his head by Lieberman, McCain laid a wreath in memory of the 6 million Jewish Holocaust victims and lit a memorial flame. Signing the Yad Vashem visitors’ book he wrote: “I am deeply moved. Never again. John McCain.”
His visit to Iraq was the Arizona senator’s first since emerging as the presumed Republican nominee. He was accompanied by Lieberman and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., two of his top supporters in the race for president.
He promised that, if elected president, he would uphold a long-term military commitment in Iraq as long as Al Qaeda in Iraq is not defeated.
McCain is a supporter of the 2003 invasion and President Bush’s troop increase last year.
Logical reasoning is not something a liberal understands. The Democratic party is comprised of nothing but single issue voters who have very extreme views. Just take a look. They are interested only in their little corner of the world. If you have a twisted moral idea then join the Dems. They are:
Tree Huggers - Who think more of a tree than a human life.
Baby killers - Who won’t accept responsibility for their actions.
Dead-beats - Who are too lazy to work so they want someone else to keep them up.
Gays - Who will not accept that their life style is immoral.
Cowards - Who would run from an enemy even if their family was in danger.
Liars - Just look at Hill and Bill.
Pot-heads - Who would like drugs legalized.
.
The list goes on and on. Just come up with a radical idea and you are embraced by the Dems. A greater collection of mis-fits I have never seen. Put them together under the same tent and you have a total disaster. Put them together on an island and they would kill each other off in a few months. Why? Because there will be no one to support them.
Everything wrong with America can be attributed to liberals. From the current welfare system to the killing of unborn babies. We can’t drill for oil because of tree-huggers, adopt needy children because they are not allowed to live, have a meaningfull marrage because of gays, protect our families because of cowards wanting to abolish the 2nd. Amendment or have morals in our everyday lives because of the liars and pot-heads who are trying to destroy what makes this country great.
You liberals . . . just go away and live in your immoral world and leave me and my family along. We don’t want the corruption you have to offer. Why do you feel it necessary to drag GOOD people down to your level? Does it make you feel Good?
Hey Gene - you are right about how some people might use John McCain’s mix up in words to show he’s not knowledgeable on Iraq and the foreign policy issues - And it not really a big deal here in the states where most people undersatnd it was just an error - however this is just another example of this administrations total disregard of Mideast culture and politics - I’m sure the whole Middleast took note of that error. Oh yeah and you spelled Iraq wrong.
You should go to some of the sites on FoxNews.com and the others! Conservatives and Liberals are sounding like raving lunatics that haven’t really grasped the issues or really looked at the facts.
There is a big problem with party loyalty. If you are Democrat, Republicans see you as Liberal pantywaists with no moral compass, and view you as unpatriotic, welfare-loving, and a weed-smoking, abortion-having weakling who won’t stay for the fight.
If you are Republican, you are viewed as a Conservative, bible-thumping pro-life, pro-gun warmonger who is a loud money grubber who is only out for the money.
Both sides would deny these views vehemently, and only someone who is educated or even just more enlightened will get enough information to ignore party lines. No matter what, if it came out tomorrow (with undeniable proof) that everything we were told about the war was wrong, and our leaders committed impeachable offenses, there are those that would still blindly tow the party line and blame others for the “oops!” On the other hand, there will be those that would take it a step further and holler about a vast government conspiracy, that same folks who believe that the moon landing was filmed on a sound stage, and that all assassinations were committed by the “man on the grassy knoll.”
Wake up, people! We are being played like violins by these parties, and you need to get educated before you begin to start screaming incoherent rhetoric. Just the nature of name-calling of political opponents show many have begun to take this all personally. At this rate, nothing will change.
Ryan:
The biggest threat this Country faces today are people who think like you…
Bill A:
You’re probably a product of public education. If you’ve forgotten WWII, you’re one of the lucky ones. Some of the people on this blog actually lost loved ones in that war so idiots like you could reduce the “Greatest Generation” to some assinine comment like, “apples and oranges”…
Watch the history channel sometime, you might learn something about the Great Country you live in.
[...] schedules get chance as National Archives, Clinton library release more than 11,000 pages• Lieberman Corrects McCain Mistake on Al Qaeda, Iran• Meghan McCain: Musings From Daddy’s Little Girl• Clinton, Obama Snub Liberal [...]
Fact of the matter is, McCain’s comment was merely a gaffe, name a politician who hasn’t been the subject of a gaffe…….Obama’s 20-YEAR connection to and support of Rev. Wright (the man, not the comments, yea right) is appalling and the fact that he blatantly lied to the American people by claiming he never knew what was said at his racist, indoctrinating sermons is outrageous…..
Ed:
You “Independents” crack me up. You don’t have the stones to define your principles but you think that gives you the right to minimize and criticize those of us who are proud of our ideology. By the way, you referred to yourself as one of the “silent majority”, don’t flatter yourself. Don’t let your ego fool you. You independents only become a majority when you finally make up your mind to vote with “us” or “them”. Only then do you become a majority.
you bush supporters make me sick. you will believe anything that comes out of that morons mouth. and the same for mccain. he is a absolute bush clone.
funny how gas prices are outrageous when bush and bush are in the white house.
funny how we remove a person from power because we dont like him
first bush - noriega
second bush - hussein
come on, give me a break.
Comment by CavTrooper
March 19th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
It’s so funny how some people here try to use John McCain’s mix up in words to show he’s not knowledgeable on Irag and the foreign policy issues our nation faces. Anything to get Obama and his pastor mess off of the front pages. I guess their finally starting to realize that Obama is in trouble
******************************************************************************
Have you every really tried to talk to a liberal? They think they are the smartest people in the world. You can tell that because they shout over any logical conversation. They cannot win any argument so they want to call names and talk over the other person. I would like to buy them for what they think they are worth and sell them for what they are really worth. No Conservative will ever be able to understand a liberal. We don’t have a twisted mind.
I feel any presidential candidate should be beyond reproach. They have to be very special people to be able to face the demands of being President of the United States. What has Hillary ever done that would place her “beyond reproach” in her entire life? What did she accomplish as First Lady? She tolerated Bill. Maybe she should be “Sainted” for that, not be made President. As a NY Senator she was behind the naming of a park or two and some Federal buildings, but that is about all she did. Mr. Obama has far too many questionable issues associated with him, i.e., he says he does not support many of the positions of Pastor Wright. He has bought into Pastor Wright’s preachings for almost twenty years. Would you stay at a church that was as radically bigotted as that church? Look at his church’s web site. It says they firmly support the people of Africa and “that is not negotiable.” They say nothing about any people from the United States or anywhere else. Additionally, they gave Lewis Farrakhan a “Lifetime Achievement Award”. He would not have been most people’s first choice for such an award.
Maybe I am a bit paranoid as it relates to someone with such a radical spiritual advisor but I cannot help but consider that Mr. Obama would likely be met with open arms by others with like ideology. After all, he said he would meet with other radical heads of state throughout the world. Lets consider a hypothecical. George Bush asked the Saudis to increase oil production so the extremely high price of fuel leading our country into a recession would be reduced. They would not do it. I believe that they have another agenda. If fuel prices stay high and become higher, the Republican Party nominees are ultimately going to be defeated and Mr. Obama is likely to taked the election since Hillary is not doing so well. When he meets with all the radicals behind the world’s oil production, they will have a close friend in the White House. I firmly believe OPEC is excersizing some “Eco-political Engineering” in getting their cadidate of choice into the most powerful job on Earth. That would give them a much larger voice and much greater influence on every aspect of life in the United States. Once done, it would be very difficult to undo if we wanted to take our country back.