McCain Promises Preemptive War

Reuters
April 10, 2008

WESTPORT, Connecticut (Reuters) - Republican U.S. presidential candidate John McCain said on Wednesday he would not rule out launching preemptive wars against future enemies.

President George W. Bush, in launching his 2003 invasion of Iraq, said it was necessary to forestall possible future attacks from a country that was developing weapons of mass destruction.

None of the weapons he alleged were in Iraq were subsequently found.

McCain, who has wrapped up his party’s nomination to run for the White House in the November election, has maintained support for Iraq war and has said frequently that he would rather lose an election than a war.

When asked at a town hall meeting about the Bush policy on preemption, McCain said: “I don’t think you can make a blanket statement about preemptive war because obviously it depends on the threat that the United States of America faces.”