Obama and McCain Battle Over Al-Qaida Statement

John McCain took a stab at Barack Obama today about a statement made by Obama last night during the democratic debate. Obama stated that he would withdraw troops currently, but if Al-Qaida built a base in Iraq after our troops pulled out, he would do something about that and possibly send troops. McCain fired back on Wednesday that there is Al-Qaida in Iraq, now. Obama fired back with that he knows Al-Qaida is in Iraq and that we should attack Al-Qaida targets. That sure is a confusing stance from Barack Obama, Troops shouldn’t be there, but they should?

TYLER, Texas - Republican presidential hopeful John McCain mocked Barack Obama’s view of al-Qaida in Iraq, and the Democratic contender responded that GOP policies brought the terrorist group there.

The rapid-fire, long-distance exchange Wednesday underscored that the two consider each other likely general election rivals, even though the Democratic contest remains unresolved.

McCain criticized Obama for saying in Tuesday night’s Democratic debate that, after U.S. troops were withdrawn, as president he would act “if al-Qaida is forming a base in Iraq.”

“I have some news. Al-Qaida is in Iraq. It’s called `al-Qaida in Iraq,’” McCain told a crowd in Tyler, Texas, drawing laughter at Obama’s expense. He said Obama’s statement was “pretty remarkable,”

Obama responds
Obama quickly answered back while campaigning in Ohio. “I do know that al-Qaida is in Iraq and that’s why I have said we should continue to strike al-Qaida targets,” he told a rally at Ohio State University in Columbus.

“But I have some news for John McCain,” Obama added. “There was no such thing as al-Qaida in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq. … They took their eye off the people who were responsible for 9/11 and that would be al-Qaida in Afghanistan, that is stronger now than at any time since 2001.”

Obama said he intended to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq “so we actually start going after al-Qaida in Afghanistan and in the hills of Pakistan like we should have been doing in the first place.”

While he praised McCain as a war hero and saluted his service to the country, Obama said the Arizona Republican was “tied to the politics of the past. We are about policies of the future.”