Obama on al-Qaida: 'Take them out'

OXFORD, Miss., Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Republican John McCain attacked Democrat Barack Obama in a debate in Oxford, Miss., Friday night for saying he might launch U.S. strikes into Pakistan.

The two threw verbal punches during the first 2008 presidential debate.

"Senator Obama apparently … has said that he would announce military strikes into Pakistan," McCain said. "We've got to get the support of the people of Pakistan. He said that he would launch military strikes into Pakistan.

"Now, you don't do that," McCain said in one of multiple attempts to put Obama on the defensive. "You don't say that out loud. If you have to do things … you work with the Pakistani government."

"Nobody talked about attacking Pakistan," Obama responded. "Here's what I said, and if John wants to disagree with this he can let me know -- that if the United States has al-Qaida, (Osama) bin Laden, top-level lieutenants in our sights, and Pakistan is unable or unwilling to act, then we should take them out."