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Five Years after "Mission Accomplished," John McCain is "fine" with 100 more

Contact:  Chuck Oxley   (208) 871-4976 (office)  

BOISE, Idaho – Five years ago today, President Bush landed on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and declared that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended” in front of an enormous banner that read, “Mission Accomplished.” Around that same time, John McCain said “it’s clear that the end is very much in sight.”

 
Now – five years, more than 4,000 lost lives, and at least $500 billion later – John McCain says keeping our troops in Iraq for 100 years would be “fine” with him.  Instead of outlining a plan for victory and an exit strategy in Iraq, McCain is offering a long-term troop presence in Iraq similar to our presence in Germany and South Korea, an approach that he himself admits won’t work.  [ABC News, “Good Morning America,” 4/9/2003] 

 
“As of today, 30 Idahoans have died serving in Iraq. Idahoans are not “fine” with McCain’s idea to keep our troops being in Iraq for another 100 years,” said R. Keith Roark, chairman of the Idaho Democratic Party.

 
According to an analysis by PBS’ Online “Newshour” edition, Idaho and other Intermountain West states have given a higher percentage of lives to the cause than most others in the country; 20.5 combat deaths per population.  

 “Idaho Democrats respect our flag and support our troops 100-percent. However leaving the door open to this military conflict for another century is unacceptable,” Roark said. “Idaho should not loose one more soldier’s life before America has a plan for victory and a exit strategy that brings our troops home – alive – with the honor and respect they deserve for a job well done.”  

 
While just 31 percent of Americans approve of President Bush's handling of the war, McCain continues to be one of the most vocal supporters of the President's failed strategy in Iraq.  As the new ad by the Democratic National Committee this week asks, "If all he offers is more of the same, is John McCain the right choice for America's future?"

 
“It is time to start using some of the $12 billion a month we spend in Iraq to address the real threats to America's security, economy, and all the other challenges we face right here at home. Clearly, the only way to do that is to put a Democrat in the White House.”

 May 1, 2003: Bush Declares War Over.  “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended.” [Speech by President Bush, 5/1/03]

April 2003: McCain The End Is “Very Much In Sight.”  Senator McCain was asked “At what point will America be able to say the war was won?” McCain said there were oil fields to secure and “die-hards” to take care of but “it’s clear that the end is very much in sight, and today I think Americans should be very proud of their leadership, their technology…There are still some foreigners, Syrians and others hanging around. But it won’t be long. It will be a fairly short period of time, but this happens in wars. I’m confident that once they are confident the area is no longer a threat to the Marines and to or army troops that they’ll start imposing discipline. In the meantime, we’ll have a short period of chaos.”  [ABC News, “Good Morning America,” 4/9/2003]

2005: McCain Rejects Korea, Germany Model for Iraq.  "In fact, when asked specifically if he thought the U.S. military should set up shop in Iraq along the lines of what has been established in post-WWII Germany or Japan -- something McCain has repeatedly advocated during the campaign -- the senator offered nothing short of a categorical 'no.' 'I would hope that we could bring them all home,' he said on MSNBC. 'I would hope that we would probably leave some military advisers, as we have in other countries, to help them with their training and equipment and that kind of stuff.' Host Chris Matthews pressed McCain on the issue. 'You've heard the ideological argument to keep U.S. forces in the Middle East. I've heard it from the hawks. They say, keep United States military presence in the Middle East, like we have with the 7th Fleet in Asia. We have the German...the South Korean component. Do you think we could get along without it?' McCain held fast, rejecting the very policy he urges today. 'I not only think we could get along without it, but I think one of our big problems has been the fact that many Iraqis resent American military presence,' he responded. 'And I don't pretend to know exactly Iraqi public opinion. But as soon as we can reduce our visibility as much as possible, the better I think it is going to be.'" [Huffington Post, 4/28/08]

January 2005: "Reduce Our Visibility As Much As Possible."  "No, I would hope that we could bring them all home. I would hope that we would probably leave some military advisors...As soon as we can reduce our visibility as much as possible I think the better this is going to be." [MSNBC, 4/29/08: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1iVx4i4tAE]

November 2007: McCain Rejected Korean Analogy to Iraq. Asked by Charlie Rose if he thought the South Korean model would serve as an "analogy of where Iraq might be…in terms of an American presence over the next, say, 20, 25 years," McCain replied, "I don't think so." "Even if there are no casualties?" Rose questioned.  "No," McCain reiterated. "I can see an American presence for a while. But eventually I think because of the nature of the society in Iraq and the religious aspects of it that America eventually withdraws."  [The Charlie Rose Show, 11/27/07; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95HVxPuCTes]