Expertise challenged
But McCain's claim to expertise came under attack Tuesday after he had completed a two-day visit to Iraq, his eighth tour of the war zone. During a news conference and in a separate radio interview, he charged that Iran was training Al Qaeda operatives in Iraq. He quickly apologized after he was advised that the Teheran regime supports militant Shiite groups, not the rival Sunnis who make up Al Qaeda. "I'm sorry," McCain said. "The Iranians are training extremists, not Al Qaeda."
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday, March 27, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 2 inches; 65 words Type of Material: Correction
McCain on Iraq: An article in Sunday's Section A about Republican Sen. John McCain's positions on the Iraq war said investigations, including the 9/11 Commission Report and a report this month financed by the Pentagon, found no evidence of a "collaborative relationship" between Al Qaeda and the Iraqi regime. The commission report said there was no evidence of a "collaborative operational relationship" between the two.
McCain's aides said he merely misspoke when he mixed up America's adversaries, but the Democratic National Committee immediately challenged his supposed knowledge and judgment on Iraq.
Democrats contend that McCain's support for Bush's unpopular war policies outweighs any differences he has had with them. In New Hampshire this month several dozen protesters loudly chanted "Bush, McCain, more of the same" when the presumptive Republican nominee arrived for a town-hall meeting in Exeter.
U.S. troops must remain until Iraq is secure, no matter how long that takes, McCain told the crowd. He ridiculed promises by his Democratic rivals, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, to quickly pull troops out. "A date for withdrawal would be a date for surrender," he said.
The key to victory -- and probably the White House next fall -- McCain said, is whether American casualties start to rise again. If the surge is seen as failing, McCain warned, support for the war will evaporate.
"I am confident about this strategy," he declared. "I will stick with it under any circumstances. But I don't know if the American people will stick with it."
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bob.drogin@latimes.com
