"Straight-talk" about the Iraq War

Maverick McCain, the famous "straight-talker", in a pre-Iraq War interview with Tweety (Chris Matthews)of 03/12/03:

MATTHEWS: Are you one of those who holds up an optimistic view of the post-war scene? Do you believe that the people of Iraq or at least a large number of them will treat us as liberators?

MCCAIN: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Today's Boston Globe, Iraq militias' wave of death by Farah Stockman and Bryan Bender:

Until now, the Sunni-led insurgency was seen as the greatest threat to US plans in Iraq, killing hundreds and at times more than 1,000 Iraqi civilians per month. But the new figures suggest that the Shi'ite militias, loyal to powerful Shi'ite politicians, are poised to become as great a threat to Iraq's security.

The military said 1,313 Iraqi civilians perished in sectarian murders in March, compared with 173 killed in suicide bombings. The victims, an average of 36 per day, included Sunni men found with holes drilled through their heads and Shi'ite men with the words "traitor" written or carved across their bodies. ...

The killings have worsened the political deadlock in the negotiations to form a unified Iraqi government. Some Sunni politicians accuse the Shi'ite bloc that controls parliament of supporting the militias' deadly campaign.

Maverick McCain 03/25/06:

I believe that premature troop withdrawal is not in consonance with what's going on the ground.

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