As the UK digests the news that troop withdrawals from Iraq will be delayed due to recent outbreaks of violence in Basra, it's worth remembering that the Republican presidential nominee in America appeared supportive of such a decision last month.
Of the UK troop pullout that prime minister Gordon Brown originally planned to pursue by the spring, McCain said:
Obviously I would like to have seen them stay longer and larger. At the time I didn't think it was a good idea, but I understood the domestic British political situation and appreciate the service and sacrifice the British military made in Iraq and are making in Afghanistan.
The remark was made the same week that McCain cancelled a planned trip to London to continue campaigning. By the time he made it to the UK, McCain's comments were less critical.
