McCain Wants "Meaningful" Action On Iran

Katie Couric Interviews John McCain On Iran, Israel, Gas Prices And His Campaign

(CBS)  The presidential candidates were quick to react to Iran's missile test Wednesday. Republican John McCain said action is what's necessary, including what he called "meaningful" sanctions. CBS News anchor Katie Couric asked McCain about a possible attack by Israel against Iran. What follows is a transcript of their conversation.

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Couric: Would you discourage Israel if their leadership came to you as president and said, we're going to strike Iran's nuclear sites?

McCain: I can’t get into that kind of hypothetical, but the Iranians are testing these missiles not because of reaction because of the Israelis in my view. This is part of a calculated plan, developing nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. And nations led by all of European friends as well as other countries, we have to impose meaningful, tough, effective sanctions on the Iranians to modify their behavior. We cannot never allow a second holocaust.

Couric: Do you get a sense, Sen. McCain, that an attack by Israel on Iran is imminent?

McCain:I have no idea. I know this: that Iran continues to develop nuclear weapons in violation of various treaties and their own commitments and we need to do everything we can to modify that behavior in the form of very tough economic and other sanctions. Their economy is not strong because of their lousy government.

Couric: What do you think that should be done right now that isn't being done, Senator, in that department?

McCain: Impose tough sanctions. There are European financial institutions that are extending unlimited lines of credit to the Iranians. Shut all of that down. Make things very very tough economically on the Iranians and trade and others ways. I think it can have a beneficial effect.

Couric: Beyond a summer tax gas holiday plan that no one thinks will pass, are you offering any kind of relief to the American people, who are, as you well know, really struggling right now?

McCain: Well, we quickly have to go off-shore if the states let us and explore and exploit those areas. If you lift the moratorium on offshore exploration then I think that will send a signal and have an effect on gas prices immediately. The gas tax holiday was just a chance to give some people a little bit of a relief, that’s all it was. A lot of people say it was a gimmick and wouldn’t work. A lot of people who are driving the furthest with the most cars, which are low-income Americans, really would like to have a little bit of relief.

Couric: Your advisers say that you're promising to balance the budget by the end of your first term. Are you personally making this commitment to the American people?

McCain: Yes, absolutely, absolutely. And if we reduce spending, we can do it. It all as to do with spending and it all as to do with discipline, which is out of control.

Couric: What's your reaction, though, Senator, to leading economists who say it's all but impossible to meet that goal that you would have to cut spending or raise tax beyond what anyone could anticipate is possible. Is it really achievevable?

McCain: I am saying that there is: five Nobel laureates and 300 economists who think my economic plan is a good one. I say that those who disagree, I respect their opinion, but growth and revenue increases is what will balance the budget.

Couric: Some Republicans, meanwhile, have privately complained that your campaign organization is in disarray and critics say if you can't effectively run a campaign, how can you effectively run the country? What's your response to that?

McCain: My response is that I do town hall meetings all of the time and you know what, not a single person at a town hall meeting says, ‘how’s your campaign organization doing?’ What they say is, ‘how are you going to get my health care affordable? I am worried about my job. I can’t afford to drive my car anymore. How am I going to keep my home loan ... and afford my mortgage?’ That’s what I am talking about.

Couric: John McCain. Senator, thanks so much for talking to us.

McCain: Thank you, Katie.

[chrisl45]

The USA and Britain insisted that Iraq had been given enough time (noting also the time since the first disarmament resolutions of 1991) to disarm or provide evidence thereof, and that war was legitimized by 1441 and previous UN resolutions.

[chrisl45]

Resolution 1441 specifically states:

That Iraq was in material breach of the ceasefire terms presented under the terms of Resolution 687. Iraq''s breaches related not only to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), but also the known construction of prohibited types of missiles, the purchase and import of prohibited armaments, and the continuing refusal of Iraq to compensate Kuwait for the widespread looting conducted by its troops in 1991.
That "...false statements or omissions in the declarations submitted by Iraq pursuant to this resolution and failure by Iraq at any time to comply with, and cooperate fully in the implementation of, this resolution shall constitute a further material breach of Iraq%u2019s obligations".

Resolution 1441 specifically stated:

That Iraq was in material breach of the ceasefire terms presented under the terms of Resolution 687. Iraq''s breaches related not only to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), but also the known construction of prohibited types of missiles, the purchase and import of prohibited armaments, and the continuing refusal of Iraq to compensate Kuwait for the widespread looting conducted by its troops in 1991.
That "...false statements or omissions in the declarations submitted by Iraq pursuant to this resolution and failure by Iraq at any time to comply with, and cooperate fully in the implementation of, this resolution shall constitute a further material breach of Iraq%u2019s obligations".

[lamb122]

The fact is we were misled by a government who from the beginning was more interested in "warring" with a country who possesssed oil. It''s never been about 9/11 or terrorism or any of the other *** the Bushtatership has been feeding us for the last 7 years. It''s been about oil and controlling it. George Bush and all his cronies from the past and present have been wrapping up everything they want to do and present it to us all as fighting terrorism. There are so many things going on in this country that have been pushed to the end of the list because he wants to fight a war that was made up out of his own lies and suppositions. In the end we are all giving in to his power hungry ways.he throws his executive privelige around not to mention his veto pen, and we do not hold him accountable.If this was a democratic president who pulled all the same *** how many republicans would be up in arms about his ineptness? This is not a Republican problem or a democrat problem it is our problem, the American people. It''s time to stop. It will take years to fix our standing in the world because of the last 7 years.

[bajaan]

Thank goodness that Muslims, both men and women, have rights here, in the USA, and in Israel and in many countries in Europe.


Posted by Elemmire at 03:52 PM : Jul 10, 2008
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More nonsense! Muslims in Israel, that fictitious state created after the end of WWll because no other nation on the face of the earth wanted those people, are treated worse than dogs. I have cousins there and I know; I am not writing words that I have heard on TV or read in the Western press.

[bajaan]

Would that the Muslim community in the free world condemn the actions of dictators who, in the name of Islam, which they have perverted into a hateful death-cult, pursue the destruction of all they have named as their enemies.
But that is not here and not now. And all cultures are not created equal.

Posted by Elemmire at 03:52 PM : Jul 10, 2008
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Would that members of the "free world" condemn those who kill and attack other nations on the belief that they are superior. Would that the so-called Christians, whose meaning has been perverted to excuse their practice of torture of many innocents, look into their mirrors and see the millions of innocent lives that have been lost in the Muslim world by those who say they are doing it in the name of "freedom." What hypocrisy. Would they live just one day and experience being made to flee their country because of an illegal attack.

[elemmire]

Thank goodness that Muslims, both men and women, have rights here, in the USA, and in Israel and in many countries in Europe. Would that the women of Iran could experience such freedom. Would that the Muslim community in the free world condemn the actions of dictators who, in the name of Islam, which they have perverted into a hateful death-cult, pursue the destruction of all they have named as their enemies.
But that is not here and not now. And all cultures are not created equal.

[bajaan]

Please, if Islamic society is so preferable to the If it is so much better on the other side of the fence, put your money where your mouth is, and go.

Posted by Elemmire at 02:57 PM : Jul 10, 200
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You are really a self-righteous person and you judge without knowing anything. I am in the US because my whole family, mother, two brothers and three sisters were killed by Taleban because my father was translator for US Army. I was lucky; I was not home when the came. I was brought here because my life was in danger. I am 23 years old.

There are over 8 million Muslims in the US, many have been here for generations. So what%u2019s wrong with Muslims? Do you know there are over 1.4 billions Muslims, more than they have Catholic. In your puny mind do you think all Muslims are terrorists; are all Catholics paedophiles, do all Hindus believe in self-immolation, and what about Mormon people, atheists, etc. all different from you. Are you a racist bigot, a religious bigot, or just plain stupid?

[elemmire]

A man would have to say we should be better under Islam. A man wouldn''t have to worry about being married to their slavemaster rather than to a man of their choosing. A man wouldn''t have to worry about being raped and then murdered for being the victim of a crime. A man would not be a mother, brainwashed into blowing his child to bits to protect a system that treats him like a pack animal. Please, if Islamic society is so preferable to the United States, best wishes on your journey there. But no, here you stay, protected by people like John McCain, who crash their planes to the ground, defending your right to claim other societies as superior. If it is so much better on the other side of the fence, put your money where your mouth is, and go.

[bajaan]

Maybe we could send a missile into Iran and strap McCain, Lieberman and Gramm onto the nose of the missile.

Posted by nirak2 at 02:50 PM : Jul 10, 2008
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I think it would be better if we gave the above named explosive belts and just let them stay home.

[nirak2-2009]

Maybe we could send a missile into Iran and strap McCain, Lieberman and Gramm onto the nose of the missile.