McCain InsistsMcCain: Democrats' Stance on Iraq Buildup Is WorkingFlawed

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Republican presidential candidate John McCain insistssaid Monday that calls from his Democratic rivals to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq stand as a "failure of leadership" as they are making promises they cannot keep.

Democrat Barack Obama said the failure rests with McCain's support for an open-ended occupation of Iraq.

Addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars, McCain criticized Obama and Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and insisted that last year's U.S. troop buildup in Iraq brought a glimmer of "something approaching normal" there, despite a recent outbreak of heavy fighting and an Americana U.S. death toll that has surpassed 4,000.

"We are no longer staring into

Pulling out now would jeopardize recent gains, McCain said.

Pulling out now would jeopardize recent gains, McCain said.

"To promise a withdrawal of our forces from Iraq, regardless of the calamitous consequences to the genuine prospectIraqi people, our most vital interests, and the future of success," McCain said inthe Middle East, is the height of irresponsibility," he said. "It is a speech prepared for delivery Monday.

Thefailure of leadership."

He took a brief tour of the National World War I Museum afterward.

McCain, the presidential nominee-in-waitingnominee-in-waiting, is closely tied to the unpopular, 5-year-old war. McCain was a vocal advocate of the troop increase strategy eventually adopted by President Bush, and is seeking to convince people the strategy is working.

In either Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Obama, McCain He also argued that Iraq will face aneed more money and aid for reconstruction.

Clinton and Obama, still battling for the Democratic rival who disputespresidential nomination, dispute the claims of success and seekssuccess, arguing the war has failed to make the United States safer. On Monday, Obama used McCain's own words against him.

"It's a swift withdrawalfailure of U.S. troops.leadership to support an open-ended occupation of Iraq that has failed to press Iraq's leaders to reconcile, badly overstretched our military, put a strain on our military families, set back our ability to lead the world, and made the American people less safe," Obama said.

Debate will intensify this week as Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker testify to Congress. Clouding their testimony is fighting that erupted late last month as U.S.-trained Iraqi forces attempted to oust Shiite militias from Basra in southern Iraq.

McCain plannedFor his part, McCain suggested the Democrats' promise to highlightwithdraw troops was motivated by ambition rather than honesty.

People deserve a sharp dropcandid assessment of progress in violence in recent months in his speech to the VeteransIraq as well as of Foreign Wars at the National World War I Museum. From June 2007 until last month, when McCain visited Iraq, violence, he said, fell by 90 percent,serious difficulties that remain and deaths of civilians and coalition forces fell by 70 percent.

"The dramatic reduction in violence has opened the way for a return to something approaching normal political and economic life for the average Iraqi,"consequences of hasty withdrawal, McCain said.

Despite the positive numbers he cited, 2007 _ the year of the troop buildup _ was the deadliest yet.

McCain warned against the swift withdrawal of troops advocated by Obama and Clinton, saying Iraq could quickly become a terrorist haven.

"These likely consequences of America's failure in Iraq would, almost certainly, require us to return to Iraq or draw us into a wider and far costlier war," the Arizona senator said.

McCain said thatHe highlighted a sharp drop in violence in recent months in his speech to the next 18 months, as Iraq conducts elections for its local and national governments, it will need more help fromVFW at the U.S.National World War I Museum. From June 2007 until last month, when McCain visited Iraq, violence, he said, fell by 90 percent, and other allies. The country will need "a sufficient level"deaths of U.S. troops until commanders oncivilians and coalition forces fell by 70 percent.

"The dramatic reduction in violence has opened the ground believe it is safeway for a return to reduce American forces.

Iraq also will need more moneysomething approaching normal political and aideconomic life for reconstruction, hethe average Iraqi," McCain said, and will need international aidmaking the case for staying in order to spur its economy.

Andtake advantage of the gains.

Despite the positive numbers he cited, 2007 _ the year of the troop buildup _ was the deadliest yet.

McCain insisted he could rally support from the majority of Americans _ even though, according to public opinion surveys, they believe the war is going badly and the troop buildup has not helped.

"If we are honest about the opportunities and the risks, I believe they will have the patience to allow us the time necessary to obtain our objectives," McCain said.