Iowa Public Television

• 

  Program: Iowa Press #3506
  Broadcast Date: Oct. 12, 2007
  

• Collection: Iowa Press: The Presidential Candidates

• Visit the Web Site
• Program Information
• Tell Us What You Think
• E-mail a Friend

Sen. John McCain speculates about nuclear weapons in Iran.

This interview took place on October 12, 2007, at Iowa Public Television.

www.iptv.org/campaign08/

Henderson: Senator, in the debate this past week in Dearborn, Michigan, you were asked about Iran and you made sort of a cryptic comment that perhaps intervention there is closer to reality than we might think. Could you expand on that and explain what you meant?

McCain: Well, there's varying expert opinion on where the Iranians are in the development of a nuclear weapon. There are many experts that say within two years they would reach a tipping point.

In other words, it would be inevitable if they have amassed sufficient fissible [sic] material and enough to make it inevitable that they would have a nuclear weapon or more -- fissile material -- I get it right -- plutonium. So the -- those experts say that within two years. And if that's the case, then that could trigger scenarios which could be very dangerous. And I'm not predicting military action on the part of the Israelis nor the United States of America, but I am saying that this administration's policy -- and I agree with it -- that it is unacceptable for the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon, and the Israelis have stated basically the same thing.

Henderson: So this may happen during George Bush's watch?

McCain: It could happen -- it could happen under President Bush's watch. There was a question in the debate, as you know, in Detroit, where the question was raised as to whether you would consult with Congress or not, and I said it depended on the scenario. If you immediately have information that requires immediate action, you have to adhere to your oath of office to support and defend the nation.

If you have sufficient warning period and sufficient -- advanced information about what progress they're making, then I think that you have to consult with Congress and you may even have to go to Congress for their approval.

Tags:

• Iran
• John McCain
• campaign 2008
• politics
• Republicans
• national security
• Congress
• war

Post Date: June 4, 2008