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McCain's remarks on Iraq war draw fire

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-12 06:38

WASHINGTON -- US presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain's remark on the Iraq war on Wednesday invited opposition from Democrats, saying he was planning to continue the unpopular war indefinitely.

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., gives a thumbs up before a town hall-style meeting at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pa., Wednesday, June 11, 2008. [Agencies]

The Arizona senator was asked if he had an estimate of when a withdrawal process may be possible during an interview with NBC's Today Show, and he answered "No, but that's not too important."

"What's important is the casualties in Iraq," he added.

His Democratic rival, Barack Obama, rapidly held a conference call with reporters where he and former presidential candidate John Kerry charged McCain with consistently confusing facts about the Iraq war and being out of touch with American voter expectations.

"It is unbelievably out of touch and inconsistent with the needs and concerns of Americans, and particularly the families of the troops who are over there," Kerry said. "To them it's the most important thing in the world when they come home. And it's the most important thing in the world that we have a commander in chief who understands how you can bring them home."

The Iraq war, launched on March 20, 2003, has consumed US taxpayers billions of US dollars and nearly 4,000 US troops' lives. It was also cited as the main reason for the country to suffer from the economic woes and the deteriorated international image.

According to a poll by Washington Post-ABC News in March, nearly two-thirds Americans said that the war was not worth fighting and fewer than half think that the United States is making significant progress restoring civil order in Iraq.

McCain and Obama have clashed on Iraq, with the former claiming conditions are improving there and vowing to bring home most troops by 2013 after the US wins the war by his watch, while the latter promising to begin a troop pullout shortly after taking office.