July 9, 2008 McCain: Can't afford to have second Holocaust Play video

(NECN/ABC) - Republican Senator and presidential candidate John McCain sits down with ABC's Charles Gibson for a discussion on Iran.

CG: Senator, the Iranians this morning fired nine medium long-range missiles. Your reaction to what the Iranians are up to?

McCain: It's alarming - it's part of the overall effort on the part of the Iranians to acquire nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them - I think it's a part of a long term trend. I strongly feel we must enact meaningful and powerful sanctions joined by our European allies and others. I think that diplomatic, economic trade, other sanctions can have effect. But it's a very disturbing trend, but not surprising given their own announcements.

CG: But with all due respect - that's what the president has been calling for some time in reaction to the Iranians and it hasn't gotten us anywhere.

McCain: Well we haven't done it, Charlie. I was glad that President Sarkoszy in particular but also Prime Minister brown, Chancellor Merkel and others, have shown this same concern and now i hope that this will be a catalyst to actually come together and impose these sanctions on the Iranians at the end of the day also we cannot afford to have a second Holocaust.

CG: But the Iranians are having no problem in Europe getting credit or around the world - they seem to act with immunity in all of this, they saber rattle with tests like this - and it doesn't - we've done nothing to be deter them.

McCain:

We certainly have not done enough. I hope again that the Europeans and Sarkoszy has spoken very strongly on this, as have other European leaders that - as you say, right now, are extending lines of credit and other assistance to Iranians who have a very poor economy because they have a lousy government. I hope that this will move us to quickly impose those sanctions. I also hope that the Russians and the Chinese will be more cooperative in the un security council. I don't hold out strong hopes for that but i certainly have great optimism that our European friends and other countries around the globe will join us in imposing sanctions on Iran.

The Israelis at the end of last month sent warplanes over the eastern Mediterranean that a lot of people read as a rehearsal for a possible attack on Iran. Israel is now within range of these missiles; Israel is worried about a nuclear Iran. Would a strike by Israel be justified? And what would you say to the Israelis?

McCain: I can't know whether a strike would be justified b/c i don't know the progress or the nature or the significance of the threat. I know that a- the threat is growing b/c the Iranian continued development of nuclear weapons. I would say it's time that all nations that worry about Iran that has dedicated to the extinction of its neighbor to take actions which would deter that course of action and that means to try to modify and change their behavior as far as nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. We cannot allow a second holocaust as I said but I do believe that there's many options - the ones I just outlined - that could modify Iranian behavior and could prevent what could be an eruption not just Iran vs. Israel, but the entire middle east. This is a very dangerous situation.