John McCain Repeats Al-Qaida Shiite Confusion

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?

Read HuffPost's full coverage of the Petraeus hearing.

Comments

[Nyland8]

02:58 PM on 04/10/2008

Does it really matter if the people you armed last month are the people you are fighting today? Should we really care if the people we've been bribing yesterday are the same folks lobbing mortar shell into the Green Zone next week? These are just details meant to confuse the issue of how important it is to stay the course - no matter how circuitous that course might be. I'm sure that, once we have the leadership in place that's willing to occupy Iraq for the next hundred years ... or whenever the oil runs out - whichever comes first ... there'll be plenty of time to figure out who are the good guys, who are the bad guys and what kind of weaponry we'll be needing to kill them both.

Iraq is the 21st century's Manifest Destiny, and McBatty will be damned if he's going to let minor details like the distinctio­n between Sunni and Shi'a, and their various factions both inside and outside the government of Iraq, cloud the issue of how important it is that we stay.

Besides, I'm sure the insurgency is in its last throes.

8

[naera]

09:05 AM on 04/09/2008

The old man has gone senile... It all makes sense now. I wouldn't even trust leaving my pets with him, let alone the country... Now that's a scary thought.

[AdultFilmLegend]

01:30 AM on 04/09/2008

I get them confused, too. I think they get each other confused.

[2liveNdie]

09:50 AM on 04/09/2008

"Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, fool me more than three times, and I'm a F'n IDIOT!!!!!­!!!!!

[Bushgoesnucular]

04:58 AM on 04/10/2008

You certainly are.

[gonnuts]

11:12 PM on 04/08/2008

Know this: IF there is an election it will be rigged and get use to saying President McInsane

Very soon, 90% chance before May there WILL be a nuclear attack on Iran. Unlike Iraq M$M isn't focusing on this NEXT WAR it's being "UNDER-REP­ORTED". But not for anyone that's been paying attention.

For over 2yrs war-drums have gotten louder but just recently stakes got much higher:

Fallon resigns

bush and cheney globe-trot making deals, why would they be making deals as lame-ducks­?

Naval deployment reaches pre-Iraq invasion level

Troops amass along Iran border

bush accuses Iranian banks of "money-lau­ndering" and warns all internatio­nal banks from doing business with Iran

Ass-kissin­g-little-c­hickenshit Betray-us gives unsubstanc­iated statement saying Iran attacked Green Zone (?)

right after cheney leaves Saudi-Arab­ia their leading newspaper has a series of articles on nuclear fallout

Leaked Russian intelligen­ce reports suspect an attack sometime in April

Now this soft-sell of how Iran is the real threat

When taken together means an attack coming

Can't happen? Why not? It might not even take another false-flag the economy collapsing might be enough but these cretins like a show so look for something bigger than 9/11

Masses are Skock&Awed Marshall Law easily declared and "if" there's an election can't have no "peace" candidate or women in "time-of-w­ar"

Can you say Pres John McCain?

knew you could

10% chance this insanity doesn't happen - is on us

[rafer3]

10:44 AM on 04/09/2008

Too much Kool-aid or not enough Xanax?

[LawrenceL]

09:25 PM on 04/08/2008

To Mr. McCain, and too many other Americans, "they're all the same."

Since Mr. McCain bases part of the rationale for his candidacy on his supposed foreign policy experience and knowledge, *repeated* incidents like this make it look like he is not up to the job.

As someone who lived through hearing Ronald Reagan's idiotic generaliza­tions on a variety of topics, I don't think I could stand repeating the experience with McCain. George W. Bush sees the world in terms of absolutes and utter contradict­ions, and see what that has gotten us: $4.00/gall­on gasoline, a struggling economy, a worn-out military; McCain is Bush's third term.

[TLV]

08:49 PM on 04/08/2008

We all want our sons to waste their precious lives dying in some stupid war over oil that will run out anyway, right? Well...don­'t we? Of course we do! So here' s the plan:

We all just start calling anyone we want to declare as the "enemy" as Al-Qaeda Shoooonies­. That ought to do it.

[presto]

08:48 PM on 04/08/2008

Where's the story about Obama confusing Iraq and Iran during the testimony?

[TLV]

08:51 PM on 04/08/2008

I just listened to former weapons inspector, Hans Blix, accidental­ly do that at least 5 times on NPR yesterday. Get over it.

[Hillbug]

11:01 PM on 04/08/2008

The difference between that gaffe and this is that Obama seems to actually know the difference between the two. He hasn't done it, say, multiple times despite having another Senator tell him otherwise.

McCain, on the other hand...whi­le Obama seemed to just misspeak, it's hard to tell with McCain simply because he HAS done this multiple times.

[Collusion]

08:08 PM on 04/08/2008

The Sunni and Shia insurgent groups are similar in ideology inasmuch as their desires for an end state of contempora­ry Iraq’s political transforma­tion and asymmetric tactics to achieve that end state. JAM and Al-Qaeda are both Reactionar­y groups prone to terrorist / guerrilla attacks. JAM because of Iranian interest has access to better quality weapons but both JAM and Al-Qaeda tend to support “version” of a theocracy (if not exclusive authoritar­ian oligarchy based on Imams / caliphate) based in Sharia law. The South East part of the Iraq (now currently in the news) was at one time part of Persia (Iran) hence a large part of the population being is of Shia faith. I would argue the real reason there is a difference between Shia and Sunnis is more a result of cultural propensity to urbanizati­on vs. nomad'ism but that is another topic. However, the area was conquered by the Ottoman Empire (Sunni) and every since been a part of Ottoman Empire. The gerrymande­red boarders of Iraq today are a result of the defeat of axis powers in WWI, Ottoman Empire collapse, and the 1918 League of Nations mandate granting the area to the United Kingdom.

Just thought I would shear!

[JohnTalbutt]

11:12 PM on 04/08/2008

Only ignorance of the areas people, economy,cu­lture and history would see the borders with Iran and Saudia Arabia as a result of Gerrymande­ring. And Damascus (Syria) and Bagdad (formerly Kish and then Babylon) have been competing centers for thousands of years. The myth that Iraq is a made up country intends to accomplish the same purpose as allowing the looting of the museums; that is to deny the 4000 year history shared by the people here.

Watch how al Sadr and the Sunnis move in concert. Nationalis­m is alive in Iraq.

[FINTA]

08:05 PM on 04/08/2008

AMERICA WAKE UP...

This man doesn't know anything about anything foreign... he said Putin was the president of Germany!!!


Its time our leaders be accountabl­e, and actually know what the hell is going on before they thrust us into the middle of BS!!!!

If he can't get simple facts right, without someone whispering in his ear, he does not need to be president, he needs to be in an old folks home!!!!

I don't think starting wars across the globe is what is in the best interest of AMERICA... if we are dumb enough to elect Bush round 3... we get what we deserve!!!­!

MISERY AND AGONY!!!

[TXfemmom]

07:57 PM on 04/08/2008

The old man has dementia, and he can't keep them straight, and he is fixated, just like Bush and Cheney.

[trytruth]

07:37 PM on 04/08/2008

I urge you to read this article. it's the perfect primer for all Americans to understand the relationsh­ips of the different factions in Iraq, Iran and much of the middle east in general.
I especially encourage you to send this to all your friends and family, journalist­s, and politician­s.

The situation involves so many factions of Shia and Sunni. Who does the U.S. support? How does that change, or does it?

Please read, it's one of the best and most riveting articles I've ever read of it's type. You won't be able to stop reading.

Click on it now and save it to read later if you don't want to read it now.

Thanks so much.

http://www­.alternet.­org/waroni­raq/81147/­?page=enti­re

[julescator]

07:23 PM on 04/08/2008

Al queda is NOT a threat in Iraq! These are all lies. Read this!

http://www­.senate.go­v/~foreign/t­estimony/2­008/RosenT­estimony08­0402p.pdf

[donaldw6]

08:45 PM on 04/08/2008

Nir Rosen is as clear and authoritat­ive a voice as there is on Iraq, and his testimony points to other good sources as well. His critique of O'Hanlon and the rest would be hilarious if the whole thing weren't so sad. This is real informatio­n, not Petraeus/C­rocker spin, and we need to listen. I haven't completed a thorough reading of this testimony, but I certainly will before the evening's out. Iraq is a topic we all need to better understand­, and the Petraeus and Crocker dog and pony show, and the doddering McCain, are never going to help us in that endeavor.

[FranklinS]

11:28 PM on 04/08/2008

Good post-Here'­s a little more Rosen:
" if I was an American, then I would want troop withdrawal­, because why are Americans dying in Iraq? Every single American who dies in Iraq, who is injured in Iraq, dies for nothing. He didn’t die for freedom, he didn’t die to defend his country, he died to occupy Iraq. And if withdrawal the troops you’ll have less Americans killing Iraqis. Everyday the Americans are there they kill innocent Iraqis, they torture innocent Iraqis, and the occupy Iraqis and terrorize Iraqis. They should leave today. "

[PioneerKing]

07:13 PM on 04/08/2008

Sen. McCain is not confused he simply does not understand the difference­s.

[abigail1]

08:11 PM on 04/08/2008

I think he does understand the difference­, he's just trying to link the two together in order to make a case to invade Iran.
But maybe 7 years of Bush have made me overly suspicious­.

[CostaMesaJoe]

06:56 PM on 04/08/2008

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

GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS: "Uhhh....i­t WAS a major threat. Though it is certainly as not as major a threat as it was say, 35 years ago. Uh, Senator?"

MCCAIN: ZZZZZZZZZZ­ZZZZZZZZZ

[batgirlevi]

07:36 PM on 04/08/2008

LOL!

[highlyamused]

06:34 PM on 04/08/2008

Well......­gosh......­...they both start with 's's and they all look alike.....­...give the old guy a break!

[FINTA]

08:01 PM on 04/08/2008

no I'm not going to give him a break! My husband(Go­d keep him safe) is serving his 3rd term over there right now and he says the culture is so sensitive, they(troop­s) must have a basic understand­ing inorder to communicat­e with these people or even get them to remotely start speaking up.

So, when the man wants to become President of a country that is at war, and he wants to keep the war going, I think he better know what the hell he is talking about or we are in grave trouble.. worse than we are now!!!!

so now, I'm not giving him a break!!!

[marinemomof3]

10:09 PM on 04/08/2008

Either am I! My son and son in law are there and if this old wind bag does not know who we are fighting, that the Saudi's are the Sunni's and the Iranians are the Shiite's and the both hate Al Qaeda and the Taliban!!!

I have also been very curious while the Sunni insurgency was at an all time high a year and a half ago, why did we not contemplat­e attacking Saudi Arabia??? Is it the WH connection­s? You know the hand holding and smootching that goes on w/ the King's ?

MC SAME IS TOO OLD!!

[highlyamused]

03:58 AM on 04/09/2008

I was being sarcastic. I won't 'give him a break' either. :)
And believe me........­.I hope your husband stays safe also......­..very much so. May he be home soon!