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McCain Misunderstands Threats U.S. Faces |
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John McCain, like his foreign policy role model George W. Bush, loves to talk tough about his supposed insights into national security issues. Recently, McCain made an odd decision to brag that he and Osama Bin Laden are on the same page when it comes to Iraq–they both see it as the central battleground in the battle against Al-Qaeda.Â
It turns out that the CIA has a different view. CIA director Michael Hayden says that, if there is another attack against Americans, it would most likely originate from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area.Â
I’m no maverick 72 year old U.S. Senator, but woudn’t it make sense to see a region the CIA director describes as “a clear and present danger” as our priority? Of course, acknowledging the fact that Al Qaeda is regrouping in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region discredits the strategic decision to pull troops out of that area fot the war in Iraq.Â
I’d love to see a reporter ask McCain about Hayden’s statement–does he think the CIA director is right? If Hayden is right, why is McCain so focused on Iraq?Â
Because Iraq is easier to say? Two syllables versus four…?
Then again, it’s much easier to perpetuate ideology of fear gleaned from Iraq. Discussing Afghanistan might awaken voters’ humanitarian sensibilities and shatter GOP illusions of U.S. grandeur…
it’s a lot of smoke and mirrors…there’s so little attention to Afghanistan and Pakistan. would be nice if CNN, MSNBC, etc focused on this
What a bunch of crap. The next attack on America will originate in Washington DC, like the last one. Afghanistan is a pile of rocks. It can’t threaten anything.
I don’t think the issue is Afghanistan’s terrain (or the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area’s terrain), it’s that Al Qaeda may have established a safe haven there that will allow it to plan and organize, according to the CIA director
I always find it absurd when a blogger gives National security advice and does anyone notice that people just love to pick the one guy that agrees with THEIR position(in this case CIA dude) to quote.
Right…like you’ll be quoting him again when he disagrees with you. Fallacy of Appeal to Authority anyone? Childish
I appreciate your opposing viewpoint, but why would he quote something that disagrees with his point? That makes no sense. Also, I don’t think he was expecting McCain to listen (or even notice), but perhaps said blogger is just showing that McCain has Middle East tunnel vision, much like the current administration.
I must agree with PM…and I’m not necessarily saying the CIA director is right. I don’t know. But I’d like to know whether McCain thinks the CIA director is right or wrong–I think that would be a very fair question to ask him.
addiitonally, the CIA director is not the “one person” who believes the threat from the Afghanistan/Pakistan region is more serious than the threat from Iraq:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1977793/posts
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/07/24/al_qaida/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/05/30/ do3002.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/05/30/ixopinion.html
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/07/797CE1BA-3281-4D46-81E1-B 2FCCB684F07.html
and now Amb. Crocker agrees as well:
http://www.washingtonindependent.com/view/biden-punks-crocker