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[1:19] ..." defeat. Would've been increased Iranian influence. It would have been. Increase in sectarian violence it would have been. A wider war which the United States of America might have had to come back so there was a lot at stake there. And thanks to this great General David Petraeus and the troops who served under him they have succeeded. And we are winning in Iraq in we will come home. And we will come home as we have -- we have one other wars and not in defeat tremendous value -- lessons of Iraq Senator Obama well this is."...
[4:02] ..." we leave behind that's the decision in the next present United States Senator Obama said. The surge could not work said it would increase sectarian violence said it was doomed to failure recently on a television program he said -- exceeded. Our wildest expectations. But yet. After conceding that he still says that he would oppose the surge if he had to decide that again today incredibly. Incredibly. Senator Obama didn't go to Iraq for 900 days and never analysts. From meeting. -- General Petraeus well escorts say are alarming was the chairperson. The committee that over -- it's in Afghanistan to this day he's never had"...
[5:22] ..." troops. And our military families they have done a brilliant job and General Petraeus. Has done a brilliant job but understand. That was a tactic. Designed to. Contain the damage. Of the previous. Four years of"...
[6:31] ..." I'm afraid Senator Obama doesn't understand the difference between -- tactic and strategy but the important I'd like to take. Two fourths of July ago I was in Baghdad. General Petraeus invited senator Lindsey Graham and me. To attend the ceremony were 688. Brave young Americans whose enlistment -- to expire. -- re"...
[7:09] ..." coming back here. And this strategy and this general they are winning. Senator Obama refuses to acknowledge that we are winning in Iraq they just passed an electoral -- for and election law. I just in"...
[7:49] ..." strategy. We'll be employed in Afghanistan. By this great general Jim and Senator Obama. -- after promising not to vote to cut off funds for the troops. Did the incredible thing of voting to cut off"...
[10:07] ..." Admiral -- suggests that senator Obama's. But the plan is dangerous are our parents that's what what he's got what I must have put us ahead and withdrawal would be dangerous that would ask him Alan said Russell. And also General Petraeus had the same thing. Osama bin Laden and General Petraeus have one thing in common and I know what they both said that Iraq is essential battleground. -- General Petraeus has praised the successes but he said those successes are fragile. And if we set a specific date for withdrawal and by the way senator Obama's original plan they would have been out last spring before this surge ever had a chance. To succeed. And I and I'm I'm understand why Senator Obama was surprised and said that the surge succeeded. Beyond his wildest expectations. Didn't exceed beyond mine because I know that that's a strategy. That his work and can't succeed. But if we snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and adopt senator Obama's plan. Then we will have a wider war and you make things more complicated. Throughout the region including in Afghanistan."...
[0:00]" Senator McCain much has been set about the lessons of Vietnam. What do you see as the lessons of Iraq. I think the lessons of Iraq are very clear that. You cannot have a failed strategy. That will then cause you to nearly -- conflict. Our initial. Military success. We went into Baghdad. And everybody celebrated. And then the war was very badly mishandled. I went to Iraq 2003. And came back and said. We've got to change the strategy the strategy requires additional troops it requires some fundamental change in strategy. And I fought for. And finally. We came up with a great general and a strategy that has succeeded. The strategy has succeeded. And we are winning in Iraq and we won't come home with a victory and with honor. And that withdrawal is a result of every counter insurgency. That succeeds. And I want to tea. That now that we will succeed in our troops will come home and not in defeat. That we will see a stable ally in the region and a fledgling democracy. The consequences of defeat. Would've been increased Iranian influence. It would have been. Increase in sectarian violence it would have been. A wider war which the United States of America might have had to come back so there was a lot at stake there. And thanks to this great General David Petraeus and the troops who served under him they have succeeded. And we are winning in Iraq in we will come home. And we will come home as we have -- we have one other wars and not in defeat tremendous value -- lessons of Iraq Senator Obama well this is."
[1:54]" where Senator McCain and I have a fundamental difference because I think the first question is whether we should have gone into the war in the first place. Six years ago. I stood up and oppose this at a time when it was politically risky to do so. Because I said that not only did we not know how much it was going to cost what our exit strategy might be. How would affect our relationships around the world and whether intelligence was sound but also because we hadn't finished the job. In Afghanistan. We hadn't called been a lot we hadn't. Put. Al-Qaeda arrest. And as a consequence. I thought there was going to be a distraction now Senator McCain and President Bush had a very different judgment. And I wish I'd been wrong for the sake of the country may have been right but that's not the case we've spent. Over 600 billion dollars so far soon to be a trillion. We have lost over 4000 lives we have seen 30000 wounded and most importantly from a strategic national security perspective al-Qaeda is resurgent stronger now than at any time since 2001. We took our eye off the ball and not to mention that we are still spending ten billion dollars a month. When they have a 79 billion dollar surplus. At a time when we are in great distress here at home and we just talked about the fact that our budget is weary overstretched. And we are borrowing money. From overseas to try to finance just some of the basic functions of our government so. I think the lesson to be drawn is that. We should never hesitate to use military force and I -- not as president. In order to keep the American people safe but we have to use our military wisely and we did not use our military wisely in --"
[3:47]" That ever got a lesson of Iraq thought the next president of United States is not going to have to address the issue as to whether we went into Iraq. Next -- United States is second have to decide how we leave when we leave. And what we leave behind that's the decision in the next present United States Senator Obama said. The surge could not work said it would increase sectarian violence said it was doomed to failure recently on a television program he said -- exceeded. Our wildest expectations. But yet. After conceding that he still says that he would oppose the surge if he had to decide that again today incredibly. Incredibly. Senator Obama didn't go to Iraq for 900 days and never analysts. From meeting. -- General Petraeus well escorts say are alarming was the chairperson. The committee that over -- it's in Afghanistan to this day he's never had a hearing."
[4:53]" And Margaret B I'm very proud of my vice presidential. Selection Joe Biden who's the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as he explains and as John well knows. These issues of Afghanistan. The -- block critical issues like that don't go through my subcommittee. Because they're done as committee of whole but that's the Senate inside baseball and well let's get back to the core issue. Senator McCain is absolutely right that the violence has been reduced as a consequence of the extraordinary sacrifice. Of our troops. And our military families they have done a brilliant job and General Petraeus. Has done a brilliant job but understand. That was a tactic. Designed to. Contain the damage. Of the previous. Four years of mismanagement of this war and so so John. He likes to John you like to pretend like the worst start in 2007. You talk about the -- the war started in 2003. And the end at the time when the worst start to do so there was going to be quick and easy. You said we knew where the Weapons of Mass Destruction work. You were wrong you said that we're going to be greeted as liberators. You were wrong you said that it he'd there was no history of violence between Shia and Sunni. And you were wrong Israelis aren't as general judgment. I'm not whether or not I don't know whether or not if the if the question is. Who. Is best equipped as the next president. To make good decisions about how we use our military. How we make sure that we are prepared and ready for the next conflict. And I think we can take a look at our judgment and I played earmarked for."
[6:31]" I'm afraid Senator Obama doesn't understand the difference between -- tactic and strategy but the important I'd like to take. Two fourths of July ago I was in Baghdad. General Petraeus invited senator Lindsey Graham and me. To attend the ceremony were 688. Brave young Americans whose enlistment -- to expire. -- re enlisted to stay and fight for Iraqi freedom and American freedom. I was honored to be there I was honored to speak to those troops and you know afterwards we spent a lot of time with them and you know what they said to us he said let us win. He said let us when we don't want our kids coming back here. And this strategy and this general they are winning. Senator Obama refuses to acknowledge that we are winning in Iraq they just passed an electoral -- for and election law. I just in the last few days there is social economic progress any strategy. A strategy. Going into an area clearing and holding and the people. Of the country then become allied with you they informant I'm the bad guys. And peace comes to the country and prosperity. That's what's happening in Iraq and it -- tactic let me say there was any strategy does is the same strategy. We'll be employed in Afghanistan. By this great general Jim and Senator Obama. -- after promising not to vote to cut off funds for the troops. Did the incredible thing of voting to cut off the funds for the troops in Iraq and -- them."
[8:07]" their whole bunch of things we got answered first of all let's talk about this this troop. Funding issue because John are always brings us up. -- McCain cut. -- McCain opposed. Funding for troops in legislation that had a timetable. Because you can believe in a timetable I opposed funding. A mission that had no timetable and was open ended giving a blank check to George Bush we -- a difference on the timetable. We don't have a difference on whether or not we're going to be funding troops. We had a legitimate differences and I have so we understand the difference between tactics and strategy and the strategic question the the president has to ask is. Not whether or not we are employing. A particular approach. It in the country once we have made the decision of either the question is was this why -- We have seen Afghanistan. Worsen the tears. We need more troops that we need more resources there. Senator McCain. In the rush to go into Iraq said -- you know what we've been successful. In Afghanistan. There is nobody who can pose a threat to us that. This is a time when bin Laden was still out. And now they've reconstituted themselves secretary of defense Robert Gates himself acknowledges the war on terrorism started in Afghanistan. And it needs to -- that but we can't do it. If we are not willing to give. The drop back its country now what I've said is we should end this war responsibly. We should do it in phases. But in sixteen months. We should be able to reduce our combat troops. Put provide some relief to military families and our troops and bolster our efforts in Afghanistan so that we can capture and kill bin Laden. And crush. Al-Qaeda and right now the commanders in Afghanistan. As well as admiral Mullen. Have acknowledged. That we don't have enough troops to deal -- Afghanistan because we still have more troops in Iraq than we did before the search."
[10:07]" Admiral -- suggests that senator Obama's. But the plan is dangerous are our parents that's what what he's got what I must have put us ahead and withdrawal would be dangerous that would ask him Alan said Russell. And also General Petraeus had the same thing. Osama bin Laden and General Petraeus have one thing in common and I know what they both said that Iraq is essential battleground. -- General Petraeus has praised the successes but he said those successes are fragile. And if we set a specific date for withdrawal and by the way senator Obama's original plan they would have been out last spring before this surge ever had a chance. To succeed. And I and I'm I'm understand why Senator Obama was surprised and said that the surge succeeded. Beyond his wildest expectations. Didn't exceed beyond mine because I know that that's a strategy. That his work and can't succeed. But if we snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and adopt senator Obama's plan. Then we will have a wider war and you make things more complicated. Throughout the region including in Afghanistan."
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