Noland on Iraq: "We've Already Won"

The Republican candidate challenging Rep. Ike Skelton says he believes the United States has already won the war in Iraq.

In an interview in Lebanon on Monday, I asked Republican Jim Noland how we would know when we have won the war in Iraq and could bring U.S. troops home.

"I think we've already won. We've already won," Republican challenger Jim Noland replied.

Noland then went on to say that unfortunately, "the terrorists are still determined that we do not have a democracy there."

Here are other direct Q&A exchanges on the foreign policy portion of my interview with Noland:

Catanese - Do you believe the Iraq war has created more terrorists?
Noland - I don't know what we did for terrorists to knock those towers down.

Catanese - What did that have to do with Iraq?
Noland - It doesn't matter if it is Iraq where they are. Terrorists are terrorists. They hate us. These people are dedicated. They're more dedicated than us because they're willing to die for what they believe. And we have a lot of illegal aliens here that would destroy us in a moment. . . We had a different policy in World War Two than we have today. People are much freer about speaking out. We say we can't do anything about illegal aliens. Let me tell you for sure, these people were not even illegal and they weren't aliens but President Roosevelt went around and he picked up every transit, every person that was un-American in any way and put them in camps. And they stayed there until the war was over.

Catanese - Would you support surgical military strikes on Iran?
Noland - I'm not in the position to answer that. I'm not getting the briefings. That's the advantage Ike Skelton has. The disadvantage is that he has a voting record . . . It's wrong for us to let the U.N. dictate to the U.S. what we're to do. I'm afraid Mr. Skelton would support the United Nations policy, whatever it was.

Noland also went on to say that he is appalled by the criticism of the President's war policy while soldiers are fighting overseas. "I think anytime we're critical of this country, I don't care if it is a Congressman or who it is. We're at war. We're not helping our situation. We're not helping this country."

"Ike Skelton was never in the service as a military serviceman, I was," Noland added.