McCain in '91: Not Sure We Could Tell a Shiite from a Sunni, even from a Kurd

Our research director just dug this one up, particularly relevant given McCain's trouble understanding the basics in Iraq. This is from Larry King Live, 4/23/1991, when he was arguing deposing Saddam:

MCCAIN: "Third of all, I'm not sure that if we did go in on the ground we could tell a Shiite from a Sunni, even from a Kurd. And who is it that we'd be fighting and battling against on the streets of Baghdad?"

Oddly, it's the trouble McCain is having now...

Oh, but there's more. Much more. Take the jump and read the rest of the transcript.

Here's the rest of it:

MCCAIN: [T]he fact is, if we went in on the ground into Baghdad that's the only way I know of that the Arab world could turn Saddam Hussein from the bum that he is into the hero that Nasser was, number one.

Number two is I don't think you could do it with air power. Unbeknownst to a lot of people, we tried bombing- We weren't trying to kill him, but we were just trying to bomb every place we thought he might be or could possibly be.

Third of all, I'm not sure that if we did go in on the ground we could tell a Shiite from a Sunni, even from a Kurd. And who is it that we'd be fighting and battling against on the streets of Baghdad? And, if we got into Baghdad, we would lose all of our military supremacy and we would take casualties.

KING: If they'd welcome this-

Sen. McCAIN: One more point - real quick. I want to get rid of Saddam Hussein. There's a few other dictators I'd like to get rid of, too. And I hate to use the phrase 'slippery slope,' but if we've got to get rid of this dictator, which ones do we take on next?

Comments (2) «

SNL had it right-He's served valiantly but his time has passed. It happens to all of us at one point or another. Sorry John, nothin' personel.

1

shopman on March 19, 2008 at 07:05 PM

What is so alluring about this current occupation that it would make McCain change his mind entirely from his earlier assessment?

He seems to have internalized the struggle in some weird sort of way. He can't let go of it...just like he wouldn't leave that POW camp till all the other prisoners could. Has Iraq become some sort of blow back memory for McCain?

It's almost as if he feels personally responsible or guilty about it.

McCain is obviously not operating on a rational level. Are we going to allow our troops and military establishment to be placed in the hands of a man who is still fighting demons from his Vietnam experience?

Can he separate the two? Is he living in the past while our troops are at the mercy of the present?

2

SandyH on March 19, 2008 at 11:03 PM

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