WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Former presidential candidate talks about the future in Afghanistan

Former presidential candidate talks about the future in Afghanistan

By Elizabeth Donatelli - bio | email
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – On Veterans Day, President Barack Obama met with his national security team to discuss four options on how to go forward with the war in Afghanistan. This comes just days after a massacre of military personnel by a U.S. soldier at Fort Hood. During a speech at the University of Louisville, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) took questions on both of these issues.

The former Republican presidential candidate and long-time Arizona senator spoke at UofL’s McConnell Center for Veterans Day, which is fitting since he served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and surviving as a prisoner of war for five years after rejecting an early release.

McCain called the shootings at Fort Hood a tragedy and an act of terror, saying it is unacceptable because the signs were there. He reiterated that the alleged shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, volunteered to be in the U.S. Army.

“I think we ought to make sure that political correctness never impedes national security or impacts it,” said McCain.

After the speech, we spoke with McCain and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Senate minority leader, about the war in Afghanistan and what we should do next. Both said it's time for the president to make a decision.

“The men and women in the military are getting very nervous about this lack of decision making because it's their future. And our allies in the region, as well as in Europe, also beginning to wonder what our extent o our commitment will be,” McCain said.

“Going into Afghanistan was not controversial and I don't believe finishing the job in Afghanistan would be very controversial with any of my members either. So we're just awaiting, as Senator McCain indicated, his (President Obama’s) decision,” said McConnell.

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