DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) – Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, vowed Wednesday that if he were president he would “get” Osama bin Laden.
“As president of the United States I will get him,” McCain said. “I’ll bring bin Laden to justice, I promise you.”
The comments came during an event at an AmVets Hall in Iowa, a stop on the senator’s “No Surrender” tour across the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
Referring to bin Laden’s ability to reach millions of potential followers through his videos, McCain said, “Do not underestimate the influence of Osama bin Laden. That’s why I say we have to get him.”
When asked who or what is to blame for the fact that bin Laden is still free, McCain cited a failure of U.S. intelligence capabilities and the Clinton administration’s failure to attack “when they knew where he was.”
“I’m sorry to tell you that our human intelligence capabilities are still very badly lacking,” he added.
-CNN Iowa Producer Chris Welch
From CNN Politics
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Think that big old campaign bus will navigate the mountain passes in Afghanistan and Pakistan?
Put it in writing, John.
McCain just sounds like a pathetic and sorry cowboy. "I'll bring Bin Laden to justice", "I would be Al Qaeda's worst nightmare"?
Does anyone buys that juvenile and movie-esque speeches?
Good lord, it's listening to some senile coot at a bus stop talk about how his generation would ward off Nazi's by keeping a turnip tied around their necks. Does anyone take John McCain seriously?
Thats hypocrytical John. You cite Clintons failure to attack “when they knew where he was.” yet you have no problems comiting all our troops and resources to Iraq.
At least Obama has the common sense to clearly see we are fighting the wrong war in the wrong place. He knows to catch Osama bin Laden and cripple his al Quaida network we need to redirect our energies to where he is holed between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Or do you think he is in Iraq senator?
now we know he is DESPERATE!!!!!
how can you promise to get what your own president have not achieved????
Sorry John,
You can't get Osama when you don't get that the "War on Terror" is different from the "War in Iraq".
Remember your "Daddy" vowed to "smoke em out" then the "Cowboy" lost focus and went to Iraq. You supported him.................
I'm glad to see that McCain is talking about getting bin Laden, even if Bush isn't.
I wonder if to "get" Osama would only make him more influential through martyrdom. I mean, those terrorist guys really seem to revere their martyrs. Perhaps it would be better to just make Osama irrelevant and cause him to appear impotent in fighting the US. Then his boys wouldn't follow him anymore. Or maybe that's what we are doing already, which is why the US hasn't caught him yet. Just a thought...
Kudos to Senator McCain for stating an historical fact that the liberal media conveniently overlooks: The Bush Administration inherited the War on Terror from the Clinton Administration since they were too busy dealing with the omnipresent "bimbo eruptions" of the 1990s.
Bin Ladin and his murderous thugs attacked Americans numerous times on President Clinton's watch: the 1993 World Trade Center attack, 2 American embassies bombed in Africa in August 1998, and the USS Cole attack in October 2000. The Clinton Administration failed to respond to these unforgivable acts of war, and their successors are paying the price.
Hey McCain! You want "to get" OBL? All you have to do is make your way to the White House basement where he's being held until the most politically advantageous moment. I think Cheney's having breakfast with him now.
That was pretty lame, McCain.
Blame Clinton for not finding him (which I'm not disputing), and do not hold Bush accountable despite having troops in Afghanistan for six years.
yeah whatever John, tell that crap to Mr Bush who let Bin Laden escape from Tora Bora in 2001-2002. Republicans cant even keep their fairy tail war lies coherant.
Your got frankenberry, i mean Fred Thompson saying Iraq had and still has WMDs, then you got McCain trying to bolster his campaign with this hyperbole, and Giuliani, who talks up all this rhetoric on terrorism and milks the 9/11 tradgedy every chance he gets, and Mit Romney just spending millions just to get noticed...
man what happend to our politicians? they are a bunch of flip flopping, status quo supporing hacks.
Oh and no i didnt forget the democrats, all they do is preach against the war but they do nothing to stop it. Even if they dont have enough votes they can still do something. all i hear from them is a buch of symbolic actions
im disgusted with this countrys actions in the last 6 years. This is like a bad movie, a nightmare.
the 2008 election is like a bad reality show.....
When will we get a politician to stand up to the CFR and the military industrial complex who are the real cabal of criminals who want this war to continue.
No one can make that claim honestly.., I'm disappointed in you John. And even though I know John wants to get Osama, find a man in a cave is not as easy as it sounds. And its not really worth the effort, as long as he stays in that cave.
That would leave us to wonder why McCain still supports the president's "stay the course" debacle in Iraq if he truly wants to go after bin Laden. While McCain and his fellow enablers continue to waste our resources in Iraq, there is far less ability for us to go after bin Laden in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Now, exactly who is failing to attack “when we know where he is?” Hmmm…
Thomas,
You must get your news from the "F" Network.
It was the Republican Senate and House that focuse all of their efforts on a BJ, and when Clinton attacked Obama with cruise missiles they cried foul and claimed he was using that as a diversion.
The "Successors" failed to prevent 9/11 and instead of getting Osama went to Iraq. And John McCain stood by and watched.
What is Sen. John McCain e-mail address?
Please. McCain can't even find himself today, and he's going to find bin Laden? It it weren't so pitiful, it would be laughable.
Oh, and I'm glad to see the "Blame Clinton" crowd is here. It's unfortunate that those 30 second sound-bites they live and breath by don't explain WHY Clinton didn't get bin Laden. Guess using the "google" on the "internets" is entirely too hard to do. The guy hasn't been president for seven years ... it's time you people got over it. By the by ... can you say "TORA BORA"?
McCain is Bush on Steroids, he will attack anybody, even a teenager in a forum who attacks his credentials, he has a worse temper than even Rudy....if you want the next world war with the U.S. as the evil empire, elect McCain!!!!
McCain, can you tell our current president how you would get OBL so he (BUSH) can get him- NOW!
The American people should not have a conditional guarantee predicated on you (McCain) becoming the president in exchange for capturing OBL. If you know or have any idea on how to capture OBL, HONOR the sacrifice of those lost on 911 and those currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and do something to bring OBL to justice- NOW! Not in 2008/ after/if you are elected!
McCain knows the price of failure in Iraq is regional instability which is an exponential rise in deaths. McCain also knows that if we are to stop the influence of al Queda we need to capture Osama bin Laden.
He is the only person running for President that is thinking through this with the best interest of the US, th Middle East and the world.
Why doesn't the CIA just get him the next time they film him for an alleged al queda video saying exactly what republicans want him to say to make democrats look bad and like they're on the same side? I guess McCain is really out of the loop on all this. He needs to know OBL (or at least the look-alike if OBL is already dead) is a CIA operative who is on the payroll to help justify endless war and US imperialism in the Middle East.
What good is getting Obl going to do in the grand scheme of things? Obl is a crusader for his own interpertation of Islam. I believe there are many more with not only the resources, but the same intentions as Obl, and they will only pick up where he left off...How long will the war in Iraq last? Forever. The only question I have is at what cost to America.
Isn't this the guy who admitted to 9/11 anyway.
McCain is a mental mess and a warmonger.
If this nut is in office the draft will be back..FOR SURE!
McCain can't even win the GOP nomination let alone find Bin Laden. what a joke, and I am a Republican! Speaking of which, the GOP has made such a mess that anybody running for the Presidency in 2008 under the GOP name should be out on the interstate with a bucket throwing up $100 bills into the wind, and letting the breeze catch them and blow them away. Your money would be better well spent. The sad thing is we don't have anybody on the Democratic side as well. Where oh where are the leaders of days past, like Ronald Reagan.
I'm a McCain supporter and will most likely vote for him but I don't understand this comment. If he knows how to get him tell Bush to follow your plan. Tell us specific steps of what you would do to get OBL that is different from what is being done now.
John McCain is still fighting the Vietnam war. Trying to make up for the failures of of that mess, he wants a "WIN" in our column no matter what the cost.
Wake up John! We lost the war in Vietnam and we have lost the war in Iraq. It's time the USA got out of the military business and quit trying to rule the world.
“As president of the United States I will get him,” McCain said. “I’ll bring bin Laden to justice, I promise you.”
So did President Bush and he really didn't deliver on that one. Granted I didn't think he would but make a new promise that you know you can actually keep, McCain!
hmm Promise to get Bin Laden laughing to hard it hurts Well if he was living in your basement all this time, then I could believe this promise.
Dear Daniel "o"...
"At least Obama has the common sense to clearly see we are fighting the wrong war in the wrong place"
Does the "o" stand for Oh My Goodness I can't believe you're defending Osama Bin Laden and attacking US Senators?
Although I realize this isn't unusual in the Leftist US crowd.