McCain Gaffe: "Common Knowledge" That Iran Is Training Al-Qaida

from Huffington Post

Sen. John McCain is taking this week to travel the Middle East (as well as stop of in London for a fundraiser). Today in Jordan, he falsely claimed that the predominantly Sunni terrorist organization Al-Qaida was receiving training from predominantly Shia Iran:

Speaking to reporters in Amman, the Jordanian capital, McCain said he and two Senate colleagues traveling with him continue to be concerned about Iranian operatives "taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back."

Pressed to elaborate, McCain said it was "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate." A few moments later, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, standing just behind McCain, stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate's ear. McCain then said: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."

(Video here.)