McCain slams Obama over Iran policy

President Obama lost an opportunity to spur a major change to U.S. relations with Iran when he chose not to side with the protestors in the streets two years ago, his 2008 opponent for the White House said Thursday.

Sen. John McCain said Mr. Obama's decision not to jeopardize his negotiations with the Iranian government by not publicly supporting street protestors in Tehran in 2009 was a mistake.

"I think if we had supported the demonstrators at the time it could have meant a significant change in the government of Iran," McCain said on CBS' "The Early Show," adding it was "opportunity that we lost."

"We should have supported them and they could have overthrown the government then," the Arizona Republican said.

The former White House hopeful separately said he was surprised at how ineptly an alleged Iranian plot to kill the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States was hatched.

"There is no doubt they are a threat to the region, and so there is no reason to think this is an isolated incident, but it is surprising to me how inept it was," McCain said of the plot to kill Adel al-Jubeir.

Two men, including a member of Iran's Quds Force special foreign actions unit, were charged in New York federal court Tuesday with conspiring to kill the ambassador. The men allegedly tried to hire a purported member of a Mexican drug cartel to carry out the assassination with a bomb attack while al-Jubeir dined at his favorite restaurant.

McCain also warned against Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, saying the country is "a threat in the region."

"They have done a lot of very bad things, and the acquisition of nuclear weapons means that this kind of reckless behavior they have displayed here could translate itself into a really serious problem," he added.

[gkoeven1]

OBAMA 2012, McCain is just an old dilusional dinosaur. Go ahead and rant, no one is listening. just because he went to war he knows it all right. Wrong.

[sharong59]

Sorry,John,you didn't win,get over it! Just remember, "That one" is still "the one" in a lot of people's books! You'll see, just wait until 2012, if you live that long! . . Obama/Biden 2012

[sodome_05]

" McCain said of the plot to kill Adel al-Jubeir."
Equal before the law, no verdict no guilty. "Plot to kill Adel al-Jubeir" is in the court process and US law will verdict this case is guilty or no guilty. So, right now they are innocent before the verdict.

[lg144]

Another rant from grandpa McCain after waking up from one of his many naps.

[southpaw99]

McCain always seems to come out of his hole whenever there is an issue related to a potential military action toward some country.
Like he is the resident expert in the Senate on these issues.
As a former Marine for many years, I wouldn't trust his opinion on anything at all!
McCain, Graham and Lieberman are the sleeziest senators of all!

[stupa5]

McInsane the problem with old miletary men like you ,your dad & grandad...belive only in the war solutions...unless you back Isreal into Nuking Iran to kingdom come there is very little you can do! Don't forget this is a country with many educated & scholared people...US can't be a positive construvie influence bby using the Bush Cheney Rumsfeld doctrine of do things our christian democratic way or we'll blow you up!
Ask the catholic church about the crusades.or Spain about the Inquisistion

Self Defense is one thing...Premptive action that's another..as is collateral damage!
way or the highway!

[SGLogan]

Successive European, US and other governments in the international community have gone out of their way to help the theocratic tyranny change its terrorist and belligerent policies and in particular its thirst for the nuclear bomb. The US administrations of all colours have gone as far as placing the main Iranian democratic opposition on the FTO list as well as letting the mullahs get away literally with murder of thousands of US soldiers in Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq by the Iranian regime's proxy terrorist groupuscules of whatever religious persuasion, not to mention keeping quiet on the terrorist regime's cooperation with the Al-Qaeda in shedding the blood of 3000 innocent civilians in the twin towers. Does any sane person wonder why the regime does not understand the modern world? Theocratic rule belongs to the Dark Ages and we won't want it in our own home countries, and nor do the Iranian or other Middle Eastern people want it in theirs as evident in the tens of thousands of Iranian democracy campaigners who've given the ultimate price to bring freedom to their country. It's high time we stop meddling in the Iranian affairs on behalf of the religious fascism and help the Iranian people and opposition to bring about freedom and sanity to their homeland and peace and stability to their vitally important region.

[Logical123]

Do you have any idea what you are talking about? Why don't you go back to watching Fox News.

[Progress4USA]

Yep...If good ol' McCain was Pres, he would have invaded Iran and we could have spent another $4T "fixing" that country too...

[sloppy-mcjohnson]

Not true, he has been defending Obama since the presidential campaign of 2008.
I think you have been on Uranus since then.

[Bisk1]

Sloppy, did you read the article above or u just go straight to the comments ??? Dumb DUmb Repugs !!

[sloppy-mcjohnson]

Even Obama's RINO friend McShame is jumping on the bash Barry Bandwagon.

[Progress4USA]

"jumping on"...he jumped on in 2008! Where have you been!??!?!?