Republican White House hopeful John McCain on Friday predicted a surge of militant attacks in Iraq around the time of the United States election in November.
”I predict that they will make an attempt as we get in to the election season to make more of these spectacular kinds of attacks which they’re still capable of doing,” McCain told voters in Michigan, in comments aired on CNN.
”The suicide bombers, et cetera, would not surprise me, and we’ve already found out that they’re going to try to step up their attacks and try to do things in a more spectacular fashion so that they can erode the support of the [Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri] al-Maliki government.”
Shortly afterward, during a fundraising meeting, McCain said that his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, would be in Iraq ”either today [Friday] or tomorrow,” according to US media reports.
While Obama is expected to visit Iraq soon, his campaign has not released details of the trip.
”I believe that either today or tomorrow — and I’m not privy to his schedule — Senator Obama will be landing in Iraq with some other senators,” McCain said according to the Washington Independent website.
”I am sure that Senator Obama is going to arrive in Baghdad in a much, much safer and secure environment than the one that he would’ve encountered before we started the surge,” McCain added, referring to the 30 000 extra US troops that were sent in last year.
Obama is expected on Monday evening in Jordan, as part of a trip that is to include Israel, Germany, France and Britain.
He is expected to visit Iraq and Afghanistan with a congressional delegation, but trip details have not been released for security reasons. Visits to Iraq by US officials are usually kept secret until arrival.
Robert Gibbs, an Obama spokesperson, had no comment on McCain’s statement. — AFP
