It is interesting that John McCain would bring up the judgment of knowing when to go into another country. The fact is that McCain was for invading Iraq and five other countries over the past eight years.
When it comes to making the judgment whether to use military force McCain has continuously advocated for a reckless response. As U.S. troops entered Afghanistan, McCain advocated moving on to Iraq, Syria, and Iran. In fact McCain had the same military strategy as Rumsfeld and Bush when it came to invading Iraq. He said the war would be "easy," we would be greeted as 'liberators" and he said we would not need any where near the number of troops needed during the first Gulf War, because of advances in air power - but he gave zero thought to the aftermath. That is bad judgment.
In 2000 McCain called for overthrowing the regimes of Iraq, North Korea and Libya - In 2000 Republican primary campaign McCain argued that the United States should overthrow Iraq, North Korea and Libya.
Less than a month after the 9/11 attacks McCain advocated going after Syria and Iran.
After 9/11, McCain supported invading a number of countries.
John McCain claims that he opposed the Bush-Rumsfeld strategy but he supported going in with few troops.
McCain, like Rumsfeld, thought air power would make up for fewer troops - like Rumsfeld, never thought about the aftermath.
McCain thought new high-tech weaponry would make up for small troop size - never thought about period after invasion.
McCain didn't understand dangers of invading - dismissed concerns about an insurgency or house-to-house fighting which then came to pass.
McCain didn't understand implications of invading with few troops - like Rumsfeld, McCain dismissed the impact of looting.
McCain dismissed the impact of looting "it won't be long. It, it'll be a fairly short period of time, but this, this happens in wars... we'll have a short period of chaos." Later many experts would look back and argue that the looting damaged Iraq' infrastructure and set back the reconstruction effort and ability to form an effective government. [ABC News, 4/9/03]McCain described administration's efforts as "well-planned."
After Bush gave his famed speech in front of the United Nations, McCain said, "I think the president has embarked on a well-planned effort to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction by Saddam Hussein." McCain then "called for an immediate show of support for the president to help Bush make his case before the UN Security Council." [Boston Globe, 9/13/02] McCain did not believe Bush administration rushed to war.
Yes, Iran MIGHT become nuclear someday. But Pakistan IS. Yes, Iran might give that nuclear capability to a terrorist, after they achieve that capability... Someday. But, Pakistan might have done it already. If they haven't, they could do it tomorrow... And the terrorist that they would probably give it to, would be the one who organized the attack, which precipitated our going to war, in the first place, all those years ago, by taking down the Twin Towers, as an attack our financial institutions... Which are imploding, as we consider going to war against some other country that ISN'T harboring him, which would be unbelievably expensive, and, like Afghanistan an Iraq, might be very difficult to extricate ourselves from... Which was Osama's plan in the first place.
I think people signed up to get Osama... Not to build highways of Democracy or liberate the world or to nation build, or whatever else we have become distracted by. But to get the guy who, most believe, is being harbored by Pakistan.
When we said we would get him, did we think he'd hide in an easy place to get him, or have we become so distracted that we really just don't care that much anymore?