Washington: Ahead of critical testimonies by top US Commander in Iraq Gen David Petraeus before the Congress, presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain has warned that a hasty withdrawal of troops will bring trouble to the war-ravaged country.

"There are those who argue for a hasty withdrawal from Iraq. For if we withdraw hastily and irresponsibly, we will guarantee the trouble will come immediately. Our allies, Arab countries, the UN, and the Iraqis themselves will not step up to their responsibilities if we recklessly retreat," McCain maintained. In an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City, Missouri, the Arizona Republican argued that the focus in Iraq must be on the future not on the past.

"But the question for the next President is not about the past, but about the future and how to secure it. Our most vital security interests are at stake in Iraq. The stability of the entire Middle East, that volatile and critically important region, is at stake. The United States credibility as a moral and political leader is at stake," he said. McCain said the US has succeeded in success in Iraq.

"Success in Iraq is the establishment of a generally peaceful, stable, prosperous, democratic state that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists," he said. "It is a level of security that allows the Iraqi authorities to govern the average person to live a normal life, and international entities to operate," McCain said.

Source : PTI