McCain defends position of troops in Iraq for 100 years

[thegodfather]

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Republican presidential front-runner Sen. John McCain on Thursday defended his statement that U.S. troops could spend "maybe 100" years in Iraq -- saying he was referring to a military presence similar to what the nation already has in places like Japan, Germany and South Korea.


Sen. John McCain defends his stance on troops in Iraq Thursday on CNN's "Larry King Live."

This week, Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama both took McCain to task for the comments, saying that if he's elected he would continue what they call President Bush's failed policies in Iraq.

"It's not a matter of how long we're in Iraq, it's if we succeed or not," McCain said to CNN's Larry King.

"And both Sen. Obama and Clinton want to set a date for withdrawal -- that means chaos, that means genocide, that means undoing all the success we've achieved and al Qaeda tells the world they defeated the United States of America.
"I won't let that happen."

Last month, at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, a crowd member asked McCain about a Bush statement that troops could stay in Iraq for 50 years.

"Maybe 100," McCain replied. "As long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed, it's fine with me and I hope it would be fine with you if we maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world where al Qaeda is training, recruiting, equipping and motivating people every single day."

The remaining Democratic contenders for the White House seized on the statement. Watch McCain talk about Mitt Romney's endorsement and his critics on the right »

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"He said recently he could see having troops in Iraq for 100 years," Clinton said at an Arlington, Virginia, rally last week in a line she's repeated on the campaign trail. "Well, I want them home within 60 days of my becoming president of the United States."

Obama took a similar tack.

"Sen. McCain said the other day that we might be mired for 100 years in Iraq -- which is reason enough not to give him four years in the White House," Obama has said on several occasions.

McCain told King he thinks opponents are taking the quote out of context. He said any long-term troop presence in Iraq would depend on agreement from the Iraqi government.

"If they don't want to and we don't feel a need to do so, obviously, the whole thing is keyed to Americans being able to withdraw and come home with honor, not in defeat," he said.


McCain was endorsed Thursday by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, once considered his fiercest rival for the GOP nomination.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee remains in the race, although McCain has an overwhelming advantage in the number of delegates earned for this year's Republican convention

[Pooks]

Good for him, standing up to his beliefs, even when Media is a crying bit*ch about it.

U.S troop presence in Germany, and Japan, has brought tremendous prosperity and stability to both Europe, and Asia..

and the United States has profited big on that.

Some stability and prosperity not just for those in power, but the general population in the Middle East would be a welcome sight.

and the U.S will profit from it as well..

****
on a different note, foreign aid is actually a very tiny bit of our national budget.. the big problems in the budget are Social Security, Debt on Interest, and Other massive welfare problems that are easily defrauded and are not very efficient.

but foreign aid help us influence other nations, and have them on our side... The chinese and Russian also practice the foreign aid route to try and win business contracts and allies over too.. good thing for us, is we have been doing it for a lot longer than both china and Russia + we can afford to over a lil bit more than they can too.

National Defense budget is big too... mostly because of the Iraq War.. but as the war over time winds down, the cost of the National defense budget will also go down..

on the other Social Security, and Medicare and etc are just gonna get more out of controL! so those are the real problem.

[Prada]

Id like him to define explicitly "success".

[Amorphic]

mccain is such a douche bag.

[Concept420]

McCain is a bought out just like every other nominee EXCEPT Ron Paul. The war in Iraq is a scam to reap massive benefits for the defense contractors (Bush's buddies)

[hardgainer12]

McCain is a bought out just like every other nominee EXCEPT Ron Paul. The war in Iraq is a scam to reap massive benefits for the defense contractors (Bush's buddies)

you have no idea what your talking about. the success weve achieved over there is far beyond your intelligence level or pay grade. it may never affect you but it will play a positive role for the future and my kids.

[Amorphic]

you have no idea what your talking about. the success weve achieved over there is far beyond your intelligence level or pay grade. it may never affect you but it will play a positive role for the future and my kids.

it sounds more like you have no idea what YOU'RE talking about.

how do you define the success over there? from what i see, i see a destabilized country on the brink of civil war, with an ever growing soldier casualty rate.

all of which designed to keep americas faltering economy from collapsing, war profiteering is all thats left.

so, enlighten me, if you would, because i'm under the impression your intelligence level and pay grade are not as impressive as you make them out to be.

[hardgainer12]

i never made my pay grade or intelligence level very high. i just think its funny that people say this war is over money and oil. everyone is entitled to there own opinion. im gonna leave it at that.

[Pooks]

it sounds more like you have no idea what YOU'RE talking about.

how do you define the success over there? from what i see, i see a destabilized country on the brink of civil war, with an ever growing soldier casualty rate.

all of which designed to keep americas faltering economy from collapsing, war profiteering is all thats left.

so, enlighten me, if you would, because i'm under the impression your intelligence level and pay grade are not as impressive as you make them out to be.

I think u're watching re-runs of NBC News from Spring of 2007..

OPERATION SURGE is going to go down in history as one of the great military successes of the United States.

and a turning point for middleast, towards a more stable and democratic part of this world.

[Logan13]

it sounds more like you have no idea what YOU'RE talking about.

how do you define the success over there? from what i see, i see a destabilized country on the brink of civil war, with an ever growing soldier casualty rate.

all of which designed to keep americas faltering economy from collapsing, war profiteering is all thats left.

so, enlighten me, if you would, because i'm under the impression your intelligence level and pay grade are not as impressive as you make them out to be.

answer your own question. How do YOU define success over there?

[Logan13]

i never made my pay grade or intelligence level very high. i just think its funny that people say this war is over money and oil. everyone is entitled to there own opinion. im gonna leave it at that.

Very true. Those that make such simple claims are indeed, simple minded.......

[Amorphic]

answer your own question. How do YOU define success over there?

i cant define success over there as i believe the entire objective of going there had no set goal.

success i think in this current situation is getting the troops out of there within a reasonable time limit before more soldiers are killed for nothing.

its already been proven the objective was without merit, so i fail to see any potential success there other than getting out.

[thegodfather]

i cant define success over there as i believe the entire objective of going there had no set goal.

success i think in this current situation is getting the troops out of there within a reasonable time limit before more soldiers are killed for nothing.

its already been proven the objective was without merit, so i fail to see any potential success there other than getting out.

Dude...dont you know its to give the people of Iraq the wonderful gift of Democracy? Even when interviews with Iraqi citizens show that they want an Islamic ruled government. I'm sure they're just so excited to get this wonderful gift, and hey, it only cost them about 1,000,000 innocent non-combatants, or in their terms....family members.... Ohhh, and it cost us about 4 trillion and 4,000 US family members.


I wont even try for a second to say "why" we are at war, or a "time of war" with Iraq. However, it has become quite evident that Iraq was NEVER a national security threat to the United States. The reason the "war" has gone on so long now is because in America we get to have our cake and eat it too. We can goto war, and the average American would never know it if he didnt turn on CNN when he got home from work. There are no direct consequences for us at home, no rations, no massive amounts of males being drafted. I assure you if such things were happening this war would have been over years ago. We weren't even involved in World War II for as long as we have been fighting in Iraq.

[hardgainer12]

this is how i look at it. if your neighbor has a huge ant problem you would go next door and help kill the ants right? so you get bit by a few ants, who gives a $hit. getting bit a few times is better than having the ants grow so large that they start fukin up your house.

this is a very small way to look at it.

[thegodfather]

this is how i look at it. if your neighbor has a huge ant problem you would go next door and help kill the ants right? so you get bit by a few ants, who gives a $hit. getting bit a few times is better than having the ants grow so large that they start fukin up your house.

this is a very small way to look at it.

Half of the countries in the world are still under Totalitarian rule, why aren't we invading and helping them? And giving them the "gift of Democracy?"

[Amorphic]

Dude...dont you know its to give the people of Iraq the wonderful gift of Democracy? Even when interviews with Iraqi citizens show that they want an Islamic ruled government. I'm sure they're just so excited to get this wonderful gift, and hey, it only cost them about 1,000,000 innocent non-combatants, or in their terms....family members.... Ohhh, and it cost us about 4 trillion and 4,000 US family members.


I wont even try for a second to say "why" we are at war, or a "time of war" with Iraq. However, it has become quite evident that Iraq was NEVER a national security threat to the United States. The reason the "war" has gone on so long now is because in America we get to have our cake and eat it too. We can goto war, and the average American would never know it if he didnt turn on CNN when he got home from work. There are no direct consequences for us at home, no rations, no massive amounts of males being drafted. I assure you if such things were happening this war would have been over years ago. We weren't even involved in World War II for as long as we have been fighting in Iraq.

thank you, well said.

[Panzerfaust]

i never made my pay grade or intelligence level very high. i just think its funny that people say this war is over money and oil. everyone is entitled to there own opinion. im gonna leave it at that.

Oh, it's not about Oil or Money! I mean war is never about profit is it. That would be so wrong if true.

This war is about protecting our freedoms here in America because Iraq invaded us and were trampeling our civil liberties and freedom. We had no choice but to fight them and drive them back to their own land and fight them on their soil.

Thanks to the Bush Administration, I sleep good at night knowing our boys are over there protecting our freedom. Without US presence in Iraq, Americans aren't free.

I hope we are there for 100yrs...the US should always be on the offensive and use preventive war stratagies. It makes the world so much safer for us and our children if America continues to spread "Peace & Democracy" abroad.

We really need to bring "Peace & Democracy" to Iran, Syria and Afghanistan. They would be so much happier with America running their countries. I mean just look at ours, so full of peace and love and our economy is amazingly strong. We are a inspiration to the world on how they should run their countries and to be honest we should be allowed to tell everyone what to do because we are the best.

[thegodfather]

Lol..you are so right dude.... And what is even more important, is for politicians running for President to commit 5 generations of young adults to a bloody war. Our progeny have so much to look forward to...

[eliteforce]

Some people will believe anything..Surge has cost the US billions more at a time when the economy is sputtering in a debt crises, the US dollar has continued to slide, economic growth in the 4th qtr was only .06% . .

The current situation is 160,000 US troops in Iraq, they get attacked and killed everyday, bases are constantly fired at, areas are contentious and another "offensive" is now needed in Mosul, the previous one N and S of Baghdad dropped alot of bombs and saw more US casualties, but again have brought no tangeble security improvements (for US/IraqGovt forces).. the sectarian violence has been reduced but no significant improvements in the Iraqi Govts ability to control the country w/o massive US support, AL Anbar showed some improvement but now Dayala is out of control.. now the Bush admin is saying the can't reduce the number of US troops back down to 130,000 (like they were supposed to at this point) because the 'gains' they made there would be lost, in other words they have just gotten themselves deeper into an unwinable mess. Yet somehow our friends at Fox News and CNN have convinced people like pooks that..
"""OPERATION SURGE is going to go down in history as one of the great military successes of the United States"""

I think u're watching re-runs of NBC News from Spring of 2007..

OPERATION SURGE is going to go down in history as one of the great military successes of the United States.

and a turning point for middleast, towards a more stable and democratic part of this world.

[soulstealer]

A couple facts.... McCain was confrunted about his 100 year statement and hes said "I'll keep em there 10,000 years as long as we win!!! and we find a peaceful occupation..look at Germany or Korea"

Fact 2% of the people Firing at/killing US troops are "AlCIAduh" the other 98% are the Iraqi People trying to get us the **** out...

[Pooks]

Some people will believe anything..Surge has cost the US billions more at a time when the economy is sputtering in a debt crises, the US dollar has continued to slide, economic growth in the 4th qtr was only .06% . .

The current situation is 160,000 US troops in Iraq, they get attacked and killed everyday, bases are constantly fired at, areas are contentious and another "offensive" is now needed in Mosul, the previous one N and S of Baghdad dropped alot of bombs and saw more US casualties, but again have brought no tangeble security improvements (for US/IraqGovt forces).. the sectarian violence has been reduced but no significant improvements in the Iraqi Govts ability to control the country w/o massive US support, AL Anbar showed some improvement but now Dayala is out of control.. now the Bush admin is saying the can't reduce the number of US troops back down to 130,000 (like they were supposed to at this point) because the 'gains' they made there would be lost, in other words they have just gotten themselves deeper into an unwinable mess. Yet somehow our friends at Fox News and CNN have convinced people like pooks that..
"""OPERATION SURGE is going to go down in history as one of the great military successes of the United States"""

Its a proffessional army, it is their job to be there... they get paid for it.. and get awesome benefits and free tuition..

Congress is also thinking about passing a bill, that will make tuition transferrable now to other family members also... which means even more benefits for the soldiers..

This is what they do.
I bet more construction workers die in a year, than the soldiers.

The real problem with the government budget is not the occasional war that last a decade or so...

but the never-ending and always rising costs of welfare programs like social security, medi-care and etc..

People are being focused on to the wrong thing, which is how politicians work.
U have to cut thru the bullshit, and get to the real problem though.

Thats like them saying, that the cost of food, and oil is up because of Supply and Demand.. thats another bullshit statement..

its up becasuse of systematic inflation all across the globe, when the fed banks keep printing more money.. but they put a spin on it.

So far atleast some republicans have told the truth, and are saying we need to cut spending, and we need to stop printing the money.

So far absolutely no major democrats have stated a cut in spending, and a cut in double taxation thru inflation..

Therefore I can tell which part is more in tune with reality, and which lives on a fantasy smurf island.

[eliteforce]

your going off on tangents like how much other things cost instead of defending the republican position that the "Surge is working" .. so you don't really think it's working?

[Pooks]

your going off on tangents like how much other things cost instead of defending the republican position that the "Surge is working" .. so you don't really think it's working?

eh... no its just so obvious that it is working I did not realize that needed any attention.

Iraqis are working together the sunnis, kurds, and shi;ities

order is restoring, and it might be on almost on par now as with pakistan or so.

so it is getting better and over time as their government gets even more organized it will futher improve the situation there.

Our involvement will trickle down.

[Logan13]

Half of the countries in the world are still under Totalitarian rule, why aren't we invading and helping them? And giving them the "gift of Democracy?"

countries can and have been "invaded" by means other than the military.

[thegodfather]

countries can and have been "invaded" by means other than the military.

Regardless, it is not our place to be invading and/or sponsoring the overthrowing of dictators in other lands. If the people of those countries want Democracy bad enough they will have an uprising and fight for it themselves, same as we did 200 years ago.

[eliteforce]

I had no idea US Soldiers were killed in Pakistan everyday, and my point was that involvement was not trickling down, on the contrary the US has more people there now than before the 'surge' and they are unable to get back down even to the presurge 130,000 level..whens the trickle going to start..like what year?

eh... no its just so obvious that it is working I did not realize that needed any attention.

Iraqis are working together the sunnis, kurds, and shi;ities

order is restoring, and it might be on almost on par now as with pakistan or so.

so it is getting better and over time as their government gets even more organized it will futher improve the situation there.

Our involvement will trickle down.

[Logan13]

Regardless, it is not our place to be invading and/or sponsoring the overthrowing of dictators in other lands. If the people of those countries want Democracy bad enough they will have an uprising and fight for it themselves, same as we did 200 years ago.

Dictatorships and other similar forms of gov't become the nesting ground of hate. This hate is usually directed at those who have what these people wish they had. Hate breeds violence. The world is really more complex than you give it credit for. If we left these people alone, they would still hate us for who we are. Or even worse, they would hate us for not aiding them. You want to see some pissed of countries that spew anti-American rhetoric and commit acts of violence at even more alarming rates? Take away the aid the US gives them every year.

[eliteforce]

o this is such a load of crap, the US has been deeply involved in the ME for a long time, they historically 'hate' because America has supported oppresive zionism, and intervensions in lebanon and blockading Iraq and a bunch of other crap.. it is deeply involved there, you don't "breed" hate in a dictatorship, it's pre-existing, a dictator may play on frustrations of the people ..

but then why don't they hate the russians and chinese, why don't the people in Myanmar hate America like the people in the ME do?

[Logan13]

o this is such a load of crap, the US has been deeply involved in the ME for a long time, they historically 'hate' because America has supported oppresive zionism, and intervensions in lebanon and blockading Iraq and a bunch of other crap.. it is deeply involved there, you don't "breed" hate in a dictatorship, it's pre-existing, a dictator may play on frustrations of the people ..

but then why don't they hate the russians and chinese, why don't the people in Myanmar hate America like the people in the ME do?

Because the average russian and chinese citizen doesn't have shit.

Dictatorships must focus the populatons frustrations on an outside entity, otherwise the people would realize that it is indeed the oppressive gov't that is to blame for their life. Name any dictatorship or totalitarian gov't and I will name the group that was chosen to be hated and blamed. They hate because that is what unhappy people do, blame others for their station in life. Much like I am sure you do.

[eliteforce]

That is not True, have you ever been to Shanghai? Hong Kong? Those are both nicer cities than most in the US with a good standard of living.. better for the average person , there are poor people in every country, and why don't they hate Japan and Norway .. both have 'shit' and a higher standard of living than America..

really if you travel around the world; America aint that great, it's a very ordinary place with poor schools and run down infrastructure. If you have money it doesn't mean that everyone in america is doing so great, a million people just lost their house and the middleclass in America is getting squeezed..

The notion that Arabs/Muslims hate America because "Americans have money and Arabs don't" is such a joke . . and why don't the people in Myanmar hate America again?

[thegodfather]

Lol...the whole "they hate us because we are free and prosperous" argument. That argument holds as much weight as a jarhead trying to discuss international politics with a political science major... =) =)

You have absolutely no evidence that this is the reason people hate America...The examples Elite gave were right on point. The example you gave is purely speculatory and basically just your opinion. There is much more tangible evidence that they hate us because of the things we do to their countries. We have a long history of overthrowing their governments and installing dictators (look at Pakistan, Iran in the 50s) etc. The CIA, the beacon of good reliable intelligence for the country, even acknowledges 'blowback', which stems from our inflammatory foreign policy.

[Pooks]

I dont think they hate America...

I think people need to look outside this box...

yes there was some tension when the Iraqi war started... cause of the whole sovereignty of Iraq issue... I know cause I went to Greece for vacation 2 years ago,, and I noticed it...

Honestly, I feel that has gone and passed..
and countries actually like America.

[Panzerfaust]

countries can and have been "invaded" by means other than the military.

Yeah, the United States installed the Shaw (sp?) back in the 1950's...so you are right. We don't neccesarily have to bomb our way into domination of another country. We have our slimey quiet ways of doing things too.

[Panzerfaust]

Lol...the whole "they hate us because we are free and prosperous" argument. That argument holds as much weight as a jarhead trying to discuss international politics with a political science major... =) =)

You mean they don't hate us for our iPhones and SUV's? Or even our Plasma TV's and Blu-Ray DVD players?

Sounds like someone drank the McCain kool-aid. That arguement is the most pathetic excuse I have ever heard in my life.

[Logan13]

Yeah, the United States installed the Shaw (sp?) back in the 1950's...so you are right. We don't neccesarily have to bomb our way into domination of another country. We have our slimey quiet ways of doing things too.

Sounds like you need to find somewhere that you will be happy living........
If such a place exists.

[Prada]

Yeah, the United States installed the Shaw (sp?) back in the 1950's...so you are right. We don't neccesarily have to bomb our way into domination of another country. We have our slimey quiet ways of doing things too.

Shah Pahlavi?

[kfrost06]

Fact 2% of the people Firing at/killing US troops are "AlCIAduh" the other 98% are the Iraqi People trying to get us the **** out...

Since that's a fact I am sure you can post the source. Funny how liberals like to make up facts as they go.

[kfrost06]

I think u're watching re-runs of NBC News from Spring of 2007..

OPERATION SURGE is going to go down in history as one of the great military successes of the United States.

and a turning point for middleast, towards a more stable and democratic part of this world.

LOL, good post.

[Logan13]

Since that's a fact I am sure you can post the source. Funny how liberals like to make up facts as they go.

You should word this as a "credible source". KOS, MOVEON, etc.. do not meet this criteria.

[Dangercat00]

it sounds more like you have no idea what YOU'RE talking about.

how do you define the success over there? from what i see, i see a destabilized country on the brink of civil war, with an ever growing soldier casualty rate.

all of which designed to keep americas faltering economy from collapsing, war profiteering is all thats left.

so, enlighten me, if you would, because i'm under the impression your intelligence level and pay grade are not as impressive as you make them out to be.

I see a country that no longer is subjected to mass killings by a sadistic dictator, a country that has been on the brink of civil war for hundreds of years which has nothing to do with us, and I see one of the lowest soldier casualty rates of any war...ever.

America's economy is in no way faltering with a unemployment rate under 4% and a GPA that is competitive on the global level. The only people profiting are independent contractors, which don't serve to help our economy at all. Oh and before you tell me how Bush invited all his contractor friends over to Iraq maybe you should ask yourself why the hell the president would have thousands of friends in the private contracting business.

If you need further enlightenment perhaps you should ask some soldiers and marines what it was like 4 years ago and what it is now.