John McCain Repeats Al-Qaida Shiite Confusion

[Hope And Change]

Will Thomas
The Huffington Post


John McCain Repeats Al-Qaida Shiite Confusion


April 8, 2008 10:53 AM

John McCain again confused Shiites and Sunnis during today's Senate Armed Services hearing, undermining suggestions that the conflation is simply a "McCain moment."

In the past month, the veneer of Sen. John McCain's foreign policy expertise has been muddied by his repeated confusion of Sunnis and Shiites. During his Middle East tour, McCain repeatedly claimed that al-Qaida, a Sunni terrorist organization, was receiving funding and training from Shia Iran. Only later, after Sen. Joe Lieberman whispered a correction in his ear, did McCain acknowledge his error. Nevertheless, MCain has since repeated the mistake.

Lieberman's lesson has not quite sunk in, it seems. While questioning Gen. David Petraeus about the presence of foreign fighters, McCain referred to al-Qaida in Iraq as a Shia organization. Realizing his error, he quickly added a reference to Sunnis:

JOHN MCCAIN: "There are numerous threats to security in Iraq and the future of Iraq. Do you still view al-Qaeda in Iraq as a major threat?"


GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS: "It is a major threat. Though it is certainly as not as major a threat as it was say, 15 months ago."

MCCAIN: "Certainly not an obscure sect of the Shias overall?

PETRAEUS: "No, sir."

MCCAIN: "Or Sunnis or anybody else then?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/08/john-mccain-repeats-al-qa_n_95624.html">Link

[TwilightGardener]

1. Step down, old man. The Shady Pines Rest Home will treat you well, and

you can call the nurses there all the filthy names you want and they'll just ignore it.

[TexasObserver]

2. Time to take the keys away from Grandpa.

He's clearly losing his mind, and it will get worse when he has to run for real this fall.

[Lucky 13]

3. They're all A-rabs. What's the difference?

He is so old and so ignorant... if this isn't enough to get people to vote democratic, no matter the nominee, I don't know what is.

[IDemo]

4. What about the threats from the Shinola tribe, old man?

[uponit7771]

5. McSame is there to lose on purpose...he just...he's not supposed to win. Cons know something is...

...coming that aint nice.

[crankychatter]

7. It's believed Petraeus is here to justify attack on Iran

I can't even watch... it's just too fuckin horrible to contemplate.

If Bush goes for it... I will blame Clinton.

[Hepburn]

6. Holy shit....

...it is like his brain is running on empty!

:wow:

[damntexdem]

8. Repeated confusion after numerous corrections = intentional lie.

Just muddying the waters in order to hype an attack on Iran.

No need to be ageist about it. It's not McCain's age, nor loss of mental acuity -- it's his lack of integrity.