McCain: Libya Stalemate Opens Al-Qaida Door

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., warns a Libyan stalemate could provide an opening to an attempted al-Qaida takeover, Politico reports. Speaking from Cairo after a Libyan trip, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he is not sure the United States should go to the extreme of bombing Libya.

"We have tried those things in the past with other dictators, and it’s a little harder than you think it is," McCain said. "[Moammar] Gadhafi’s a great survivor — we don’t know exactly where he is. We do have to worry about civilian casualties. That can turn the Libyan people against us. I certainly think we ought to make

“Gadhafi aware that his very life is in danger, but — I think we have to be a little careful how we do that. I think we can achieve the goal of him being finished off by pursuing the battlefield on the ground as well,” he said.