Support AlterNet
Do you value the information you're getting from AlterNet? Please show your support with a tax-deductible donation.
Feedback
Tell us how we're doing.
McCain Calls War in Iraq 'Easy Victory'
In late 2002 and early 2003, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was a fixture on cable television, assuring Americans that an invasion of Iraq would be "easy." "I believe that the success will be fairly easy," McCain told CNN in September 2002. "We will win this conflict. We will win it easily," he told MSNBC the following January.
Over the years, McCain has often claimed that he made never made rosy predictions, saying in 2006 that he "fully understood from the beginning" that Iraq "would be a very, very difficult undertaking." In January 2007, however, he wasn't sure what he believed. First, he said that he knew it was "going to be long and hard and tough," but six days later he claimed, "I said the military operation would be easy. It was easy."
On Larry King Live last night, when asked about the decision to invade, McCain went back to saying that he predicted America would have "an easy victory" and that "we did":
MCCAIN: I think we did the right thing. I think that it was a colossal intelligence failure on the part of the United States and every other county as to whether he had them or not. But again, I would remind you, I said we would have an easy victory. We did.Watch it:
KING: If this would go back, start all over again, would you go into Iraq if you could go back?
MCCAIN: I think the world is better off knowing what I know at the time and the fact that Saddam Hussein was bent on acquiring weapons of mass destruction, $12 billion Oil for Food scandal. American airplanes were being shot at. Sanctions were breaking down. It's clear that he wanted to go back and acquire weapons of mass destruction and use them. I don't think there is any doubt. I think we did the right thing. I think that it was a colossal intelligence failure on the part of the United States and every other county as to whether he had them or not. But again, I would remind you, I said we would have an easy victory. We did.
And then we employed the wrong strategy which doomed us to failure and we were losing this war when I said we had to have this new strategy all along and stoop up for it when most political pundits said that my career was finished.
| Also in War on Iraq | |||
| GOP Senator Lindsey Graham Breaks Ranks, Admits "The Green Economy Is Coming" Finally, one member of the GOP has a slice of reality pie. Post by Staff. November 5, 2009. |
Iowa Wingnut Steve King Lauds Lobbyists as American Heros for Bussing in Health Reform Protesters Astroturfing earns praise from the GOP rep. Post by Lee Fang. November 4, 2009. |
GOP Loon Goes Off the Rails: Health Reform Greater Threat than Terrorism The government's trying to put you to death, don't you know. Post by Faiz Shakir. November 2, 2009. |
|
EMAIL
PRINT
2 COMMENTS
PERMALINK