John McCain: I Know How To Catch Bin Laden

With reporting by Rachel Weiner

Last week, John McCain proclaimed that he knew how to win wars. Today, he's taking it a step further, telling voters that he not only knows how to capture and bring to justice Osama bin Laden, but is going to do it.

Appearing on the Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, the Arizona Republican was reminded that he had vowed to bring Osama bin Laden to justice and was asked how he would differ in that task from President Bush.

Initially saying that he would not "telegraph" the specifics, McCain declared, "Look, I know the area, I've been there, I know wars, I know how to win wars, and I know how to improve our capabilities so that we will capture Osama bin Laden -- or put it this way, bring him to justice... We will do it, I know how to do it."

Proclaiming that he will capture the elusive terrorist leader -- and knows how to do it -- is a fairly bold assertion and leads to the question: what information is McCain holding back from the Bush administration?

But the Senator has made broad foreign policy promises before. This past week he told a crowd in Albuquerque, New Mexico: "I know how to win wars. I know how to win wars... And if I'm elected President, I will turn around the war in Afghanistan, just as we have turned around the war in Iraq, with a comprehensive strategy for victory, I know how to do that."

In today's CNN interview, McCain suggested that a Nuremberg Trial-style hearing for bin Laden would be appropriate upon his capture.

"We have various options. The Nuremberg Trials are certainly an example of the kind of tribunal that we could move forward with. I don't think we'd have any difficulty in devising an international -- internationally supported mechanism that would mete out justice. There's no problem there."

Early in the campaign, it should be noted, McCain went hard after Barack Obama for saying that Bin Laden should not be a "martyr." Obama also suggested Nuremburg as a model -- to which McCain replied that Obama didn't understand the reference.

Comments

[LuvDaH8ters]

I know how to catch Osama, but i wont tell you until I'm elected, because you know I'm so patriotic.....

[NoahVail]

Remember Nixon's secret plan to end the war? Sounds all too familiar...

[cassidynj]

McCain is such a patriot, and yet he'll keep this surefire plan a secret until after the election?

If he loses the election, will he keep the surefire plan a secret?

This is a many who puts country ahead of politics?

[VSamuels]

What will be interesting to watch going forward, is, will any of the debate moderators ask McCain to clarify 'what wars he's won' and 'why he hasn't shared the key to capturing OBL'. Fundamentally, the corporate media is giving McCain a tremendous amount of leeway in making these statements and not challenging them on the substance; part of the reason is because it keeps the specture of a 'horserace' going, and it attracts their part of the audience who already falsely believe McCain has substantial foreign policy experience. With Hillary, this same media allow her to constantly repeat that she possessed 35 years of experience for so long, they actually forgot or failed to investigate if it was true. Only after her campaign structure unraveled, did they begin to offer questions about the positive labeling that they afforded her throughout the primary.

Wesley Clark attempted to question the substance of McCain's experience and was destroyed by this same media, but eventually the truth will come out and McCain like Hillary will be left to explain this things to the American people.

[ObamAtomic]

Defloration at old age is the result of old combustion on your system,that is why you are saying all the wars you had been winning,commandeer on chief,passing all those test.

[doctorwang]

"Defloration at old age ...."

when did he get deflowered? did it happen at that sausage house?!?!

[instagladiator]

Mens room in Minnesota.

[williamg]

Now that Mc.Cain has adopted O'bama's 16 month timetable, does that mean he would rather lose a war, than lose an election?

[instagladiator]

No! I think it means that after 16-months, he will simply extend it another 16-months and so on and so forth, until he gets to 100 years.

[lisakaz2]

Traitor or liar. Take your pick.

[contrariandy]

Sure, Johnny knows how to catch bin Ladin, Bush knows, too, they all do. But the Reprobates don't want to catch bin Laden because he's so useful to scare yellow state voters at election time.

[MizLiz]

He knows how to win wars? Which ones? We sure didn't "win" in Viet Nam. His memory is pretty selective.

[brainuser]

Well we haven't tried icecream or clean sheets from an aircrat carrier yet.

[tigs]

this post is great fun, but dont worry mc cain will have forgotten he said by tomorrow, poor old codger
when i get to his age (whoops i am his age ) light my fire and forget about me, off now on a jog.

[mstoot]

Hey, I'm older than this guy, and the hardest part of my day is trying to remember not to wear my underwear on the outside of my clothes. Just wait, I'll bet we'll soon he seeing his Depends right there on the outside next to his suit pants. Won't be a pretty sight - never is.

[imsosure]

Johnny couldn't catch a cold if he was trying.

[raker]

I have a cure for cancer, so you'd better elect me or I won't tell you what it is.

[debrouillard]

If he knows how to capture Bin Laden,then he shouldnt be the president,he should be a soldier on the field.It is the soldiers who will capture or kill Bin laden,not the president.

[instagladiator]

Brilliant!! I wouldn't put it past them to come up with something like that next.

[Msohio]

John McCain says that he knows how to catch Bin Laden. Well, as the more patriotic candidate it seems that he would have put some fire power behind his claims. I am sure that his new buddy Bush would listen to him. After all, da surge, da surge, da surge.........................................................

[williamg]

Sounds like Nixon.

[robiform]

I see you remember Nixon's famous plan for getting out of Vietnam, also! It was so amazing how that plan couldn't be implemented until AFTER the 1972 election (i.e. Nixon's re-election) and of course, we all know how that turned out! Watergate, anyone? Meanwhile, if McSame has this secret plan to get Bin Laden, I wonder why he hasn't shared it with the current Administration?

[RobertAndropolis]

McWarExpert has not captured or killed bin Laden because with his wife's hundreds of millions he really doesn't need the additional $25mil reward. Especially not after the Netherlands Bud acquisition.

[findingthetruth]

All McCain EVER talks about is war. He's concentrating so hard on IT, that he speaks of an Iraq/Pakistan border.

Think about it. (We know there's no such thing). However, McCain has literally focused so much on IRAN (possibly starting a war) ---- that subconcienciously McCain has used Iran (as a border) for Iraq and Pakistan. That's precisely where Iran lies (BETWEEN Iraq and Paskistan).

No ---- McCain is aware of the borders. His goal is to "obliterate" Iran. We've heard that before.