McCain promotes surge, warns of hasty withdrawal

On the eve of the key appearance before Congress by General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain argued today that the new counterinsurgency strategy backed by the "surge" of American troops last year pulled the war-torn country back from the abyss and "opened the way for a return to something approaching normal political and economic life for the average Iraqi."

"In the year that has passed, our nation showed its strength, and its deep sense of global responsibility," McCain said in a speech this morning in Kansas City, Mo., to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

"Instead of abandoning Iraq to civil war, genocide, and terror, and the Middle East to the destabilizing effects of these consequences, we changed strategies. We sent to Iraq additional troops, many of them on their third or fourth tour, and a great, seasoned general to lead them, with a battle plan that, at long last, actually addressed the challenges we faced in Iraq," McCain, a vocal supporter of the surge, said, according to prepared remarks provided by his campaign.

"Much more needs to be done, and Iraq’s politicians need to know that we expect them to show the necessary leadership to rebuild their country," McCain continued. "....But there is no doubt about the basic reality in Iraq: we are no longer staring into the abyss of defeat, and we can now look ahead to the genuine prospect of success. Success in Iraq is the establishment of a generally peaceful, stable, prosperous, democratic state that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists. It is the advance of religious tolerance over violent radicalism. It is a level of security that allows the Iraqi authorities to govern, the average person to live a normal life, and international entities to operate. It is a situation in which the rule of law, after decades of tyranny, takes hold. It is an Iraq where Iraqi forces have the responsibility for enforcing security in their country, and where American troops can return home, with the honor of having secured their country’s interests at great personal cost, and helping another people achieve peace and self-determination."

McCain also warns that his Democratic rivals, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are promising a "hasty" withdrawal that would cause bigger problems.

"Some would withdraw regardless of the consequences," McCain said. "Others say that we can withdraw now and then return if trouble starts again. What they are really proposing, if they mean what they say, is a policy of withdraw and re-invade. For if we withdraw hastily and irresponsibly, we will guarantee the trouble will come immediately."

The Arizona senator pledged he would not keep US forces in Iraq any longer than necessary.

"The American people deserve the truth from their leaders," he said. "They deserve a candid assessment of the progress we have managed to make in the last year in preventing the worst from happening in Iraq, of the very serious difficulties that remain, and of the grave consequences of a hasty, reckless, and irresponsible withdrawal. If we are honest about the opportunities and the risks, I believe they will have the patience to allow us the time necessary to obtain our objectives."

The Republican National Committee is reinforcing McCain's message with a new web video that accuses Clinton and Obama of politicizing the war and ignoring sage advice from Petraeus, who is to testify on Capitol Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday. The video contrasts Petraeus's early testimony to Congress with statements by the Democrats during debates and campaign speeches.

"After consistently promising to 'always listen to our commanders on the ground,' Barack Obama has blatantly ignored Gen. Petraeus’ recommendations and pledged to enact an immediate and dangerous withdrawal of US forces in Iraq if elected president," the RNC says in a release accompanying the video. "And despite warnings from Gen. Petraeus that 'a premature drawdown of our forces would likely have devastating consequences,' Senator Clinton has promised to begin a precipitous withdrawal of American troops within 60 days."

UPDATE: Obama issued a statement responding to McCain.

"It's a failure of leadership to support an open-ended occupation of Iraq that has failed to press Iraq's leaders to reconcile, badly overstretched our military, put a strain on our military families, set back our ability to lead the world, and made the American people less safe. John McCain was wrong about the war from the beginning, he's wrong to call for more resources in Iraq while the American people are struggling, and he's wrong to support a 100 year occupation of a country that needs to take responsibility for its own future. No amount of tough talk will change the Bush-McCain record of poor judgment, or bring us one day closer to ending a war that is not making us safer."

UPDATE: Hillary Clinton issued a statement that said:

"Senator McCain's Groundhog Day approach to Iraq means four more years of the Bush-Cheney-McCain policy of continuing to police a civil war while the threats to our national security, our economy, and our standing in the world mount. We simply cannot give the Iraqi government an endless blank check. It is time to end this war as quickly, as responsibly, and as safely as possible. That has been my mission in the Senate and it will be my mission starting on day one as President."

The Democratic National Committee also hit back, issuing a statement from chairman Howard Dean:

"John McCain's irresponsible political attacks are not a substitute for a workable plan for the future of Iraq, something McCain has consistently refused to outline. Responsible leadership means being honest about your plans for the future, not hiding behind empty rhetoric and shallow attacks. While the voters want change, John McCain is promising more of the same failed Bush policies. McCain refuses to recognize that 100 years in Iraq is not a plan. John McCain and George Bush are as wrong and out of touch on Iraq as they are on the economy, the mortgage crisis and health care."