McCain on Petraeus and Al-Qaeda

[Mr Bean]

First let me prefrence this with a quote

Al Qaeda is profoundly Sunni. If a Shiite showed up at an al Qaeda club house, they’d slice off his head and use it for a soccer ball-Jeff Stein

During today’s hearing with Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) questioned Petraeus on what he called “the major threat” of al Qaeda in Iraq. In the wake of his recent confusion over the nature of al Qaeda, McCain today seemed to refer to al Qaeda as a “sect of Shi’ites”:

MCCAIN: Do you still view al Qaeda in Iraq as a major threat?

PETRAEUS: It is still a major threat, though it is certainly not as major a threat as it was say 15 months ago.

MCCAIN: Certainly not an obscure sect of the Shi’ites overall?

PETREAUS: No.

MCCAIN: Or Sunnis or anybody else.

This is not the first time, this is the fifth time he's fucked that up and he's been corrected three times about it.

[SirNitram]

And his base, the media, will write it off as a 'Senior Moment'.

Because you want the man who controls the nukes to have senior moments and possibly mix up targets.

[Flagg]

First let me prefrence this with a quote

Al Qaeda is profoundly Sunni. If a Shiite showed up at an al Qaeda club house, they’d slice off his head and use it for a soccer ball-Jeff Stein

During today’s hearing with Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) questioned Petraeus on what he called “the major threat” of al Qaeda in Iraq. In the wake of his recent confusion over the nature of al Qaeda, McCain today seemed to refer to al Qaeda as a “sect of Shi’ites”:

MCCAIN: Do you still view al Qaeda in Iraq as a major threat?

PETRAEUS: It is still a major threat, though it is certainly not as major a threat as it was say 15 months ago.

MCCAIN: Certainly not an obscure sect of the Shi’ites overall?

PETREAUS: No.

MCCAIN: Or Sunnis or anybody else.

This is not the first time, this is the fifth time he's fucked that up and he's been corrected three times about it.

Not a shock. He's intentionally doing this to try and drum up a war with Iran. He carefully phrased the question and following statement in such a way that he can use General David "Just give us six more months!" Petraeus' answer of "no" as a credible source indicating Al Quaeda ties with Iran, while also giving the impression that he corrected himself.

[Rye]

Anyone remember how much Iraq and Al Qaeda and 9/11 were mentioned together in Bush's speeches? Associate them enough and people won't care if it's true or not.

[Wicked Pilot]

I can't make heads or tails of what he's saying. Can you expand the dialog a few questions and answers in both directions?