By Andy Sullivan
CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Republican presidential front-runnerJohn McCain on Monday retracted his earlier statement he wouldlose the November election if he did not convince Americansthey were winning the war in Iraq.
"I don't mean that I'll, quote, lose," McCain toldreporters on his campaign bus. "I mean that it's an importantissue in the judgment of the American voters."
"It's not often I retract a comment," said the likelyRepublican nominee.
McCain, a staunch supporter of the Iraq war, said earlierin the day he would lose the election if he did not convincethe American public the U.S. military was succeeding in Iraq.
Most Americans now say the 2003 invasion of Iraq was a badidea and disapprove of the way President George W. Bush haswaged it.
Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama bothadvocate withdrawing U.S. troops if they are elected president.
McCain, a former Navy aviator who was a prisoner of war inVietnam, often says on the campaign trail that withdrawing fromIraq prematurely would amount to surrender and give Islamicextremists a propaganda victory.
The Arizona senator has criticized how the war was wagedunder former Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who wasreplaced in late 2006. McCain says the country has madeimportant strides in security and political stability since theUnited States increased its troop presence last year.
McCain has said U.S. troops may have to maintain a presencein Iraq for up to 100 years, a statement that has drawncriticism from Democrats. McCain has added he expectscasualties to decline as Iraqi troops take on more securityduties.
On his campaign bus on Monday, McCain pointed out U.S.troops were still stationed in Japan, Germany, South Korea andBosnia although those wars have ended.
"We will succeed in Iraq and the Iraqis will take overtheir responsibilities. Americans will withdraw. But Americansmay have, as they have in so many other countries, a securityarrangement far into the future," he said.
(Editing by Peter Cooney)
(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visitReuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online athttp://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)
