Post by Moses on Jan 16, 2006 12:13:01 GMT -5
Loss of innocent life unavoidable: McCain
Web posted at: 1/16/2006 3:40:48
Source ::: Agencies
WASHINGTON: A senior US senator yesterday lamented the loss of innocent life during a US bombing raid in Pakistan, but said such casualties are unavoidable as Washington robustly pursues its "war on terror."
"It's terrible when innocent people are killed. We regret that. But we have to do what we think is necessary to take out Al Qaeda, particularly the top operatives," US Senator John McCain told CBS television's "Face the Nation" program.
"We regret it. We understand the anger that people feel, but the United States' priorities are to get rid of Al Qaeda, and this was an effort to do so," the Republican lawmaker said.
"We apologise, but I can't tell you that we wouldn't do the same thing again," McCain said.
He made his remarks after thousands of protestors took to Pakistan's streets to condemn the US air strike that officials said targeted Al Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman Al Zawahiri, but instead killed 18 villagers near the Afghan border.
"This war on terror has no boundaries," McCain, a Vietnam War veteran and leading congressional voice on defence matters, continued.
"We have to go where these people are, and we have to take them out. And the fact that maybe we didn't take them out years ago when we should have is a cautionary tale," he told CBS.
McCain also said Washington should be prepared to take military action if necessary against Iran, calling the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program the biggest international crisis in more than a decade.
"The military option is the last option but cannot be taken off of the table," he said.
"This is the most grave situation that we have faced since the end of the Cold War, absent the whole war on terror," the Republican lawmaker told CBS. [And this preposterous statement was not questioned by Bob SCHIEFER, CBS's top "journalist" and anchor of this program as well as CBS nightly news. Bob's brother has worked for Bush. Schiefer and his network, CBS should be tried, at some point, for orchestrating mass hysteria on behalf of a foreign power and in order to start a war, and bring down the US]
McCain said even the the massive military commitments in Iraq should not allow the United States to rule out responding with force against Iran.
"We are tied up to a great degree. But that does not mean that we don't have military options," McCain said.
He added that such measures should only be resorted to after peaceful methods have been exhausted, including immediate UN action.
"We must go to the UN now for sanctions," McCain said.
"If the Russians and the Chinese, for reasons that would be abominable, do not join us, then we would have to go with the willing."
McCain, one of the most influential members of the US Senate and a leading contender to run for the White House in 2008, said that Washington also should try to counter Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by shoring up opposition democratic movements in Iran.
"The Iranian people are not happy under these mullahs. They have basically repressed and oppressed them. We got to do a lot more in encouraging pro-democracy in Iran," McCain said. [So we need to "liberate" them, right? And we will be greeted with flowers!]
Asked it Iran posed a greater threat to US security than Iraq, McCain said: "I think at this time clearly it does."
"Now, the difference between Iraq and Iran is that Saddam Hussein had us all fooled, including his own generals, about having weapons of mass destruction. I think it's pretty clear in the mind of any expert that Iranians are about to acquire them," he said. [THIS PREPOSTEROUS AND WHOLEY FALSE STATEMENT WAS NOT QUESTIONED BY THE CBS "JOUNALIST" BOB SCHIEFER, WHO ASSENTED TO IT!!!]
His comments came as Iran vowed to press on with its disputed nuclear program regardless of mounting international pressure.
The EU and the United States are pushing for Iran to be referred to the Security Council over what they fear is a covert weapons drive, leaving Tehran exposed to the prospect of international sanctions.
European, American, Chinese and Russian officials are due to hold talks on the crisis in London today, when they are expected to set a date for an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of governors.
Web posted at: 1/16/2006 3:40:48
Source ::: Agencies
WASHINGTON: A senior US senator yesterday lamented the loss of innocent life during a US bombing raid in Pakistan, but said such casualties are unavoidable as Washington robustly pursues its "war on terror."
"It's terrible when innocent people are killed. We regret that. But we have to do what we think is necessary to take out Al Qaeda, particularly the top operatives," US Senator John McCain told CBS television's "Face the Nation" program.
"We regret it. We understand the anger that people feel, but the United States' priorities are to get rid of Al Qaeda, and this was an effort to do so," the Republican lawmaker said.
"We apologise, but I can't tell you that we wouldn't do the same thing again," McCain said.
He made his remarks after thousands of protestors took to Pakistan's streets to condemn the US air strike that officials said targeted Al Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman Al Zawahiri, but instead killed 18 villagers near the Afghan border.
"This war on terror has no boundaries," McCain, a Vietnam War veteran and leading congressional voice on defence matters, continued.
"We have to go where these people are, and we have to take them out. And the fact that maybe we didn't take them out years ago when we should have is a cautionary tale," he told CBS.
McCain also said Washington should be prepared to take military action if necessary against Iran, calling the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program the biggest international crisis in more than a decade.
"The military option is the last option but cannot be taken off of the table," he said.
"This is the most grave situation that we have faced since the end of the Cold War, absent the whole war on terror," the Republican lawmaker told CBS. [And this preposterous statement was not questioned by Bob SCHIEFER, CBS's top "journalist" and anchor of this program as well as CBS nightly news. Bob's brother has worked for Bush. Schiefer and his network, CBS should be tried, at some point, for orchestrating mass hysteria on behalf of a foreign power and in order to start a war, and bring down the US]
McCain said even the the massive military commitments in Iraq should not allow the United States to rule out responding with force against Iran.
"We are tied up to a great degree. But that does not mean that we don't have military options," McCain said.
He added that such measures should only be resorted to after peaceful methods have been exhausted, including immediate UN action.
"We must go to the UN now for sanctions," McCain said.
"If the Russians and the Chinese, for reasons that would be abominable, do not join us, then we would have to go with the willing."
McCain, one of the most influential members of the US Senate and a leading contender to run for the White House in 2008, said that Washington also should try to counter Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by shoring up opposition democratic movements in Iran.
"The Iranian people are not happy under these mullahs. They have basically repressed and oppressed them. We got to do a lot more in encouraging pro-democracy in Iran," McCain said. [So we need to "liberate" them, right? And we will be greeted with flowers!]
Asked it Iran posed a greater threat to US security than Iraq, McCain said: "I think at this time clearly it does."
"Now, the difference between Iraq and Iran is that Saddam Hussein had us all fooled, including his own generals, about having weapons of mass destruction. I think it's pretty clear in the mind of any expert that Iranians are about to acquire them," he said. [THIS PREPOSTEROUS AND WHOLEY FALSE STATEMENT WAS NOT QUESTIONED BY THE CBS "JOUNALIST" BOB SCHIEFER, WHO ASSENTED TO IT!!!]
His comments came as Iran vowed to press on with its disputed nuclear program regardless of mounting international pressure.
The EU and the United States are pushing for Iran to be referred to the Security Council over what they fear is a covert weapons drive, leaving Tehran exposed to the prospect of international sanctions.
European, American, Chinese and Russian officials are due to hold talks on the crisis in London today, when they are expected to set a date for an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of governors.