Presidential hopeful and steadfast Iraq war proponent, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), said Tuesday that the "surge" strategy launched in March is succeeding and that the U.S. military is turning the corner in Iraq.

Saying all other issues "pale in comparison" on the campaign trail, McCain told Military.com in an exclusive interview that fellow lawmakers pushing for a withdrawal are setting "a date for surrender."

"I not only believe it is winnable, but I think we're succeeding - I think we're winning," McCain said in the Sept. 4 interview. "For us to bail out now would bring on chaos and genocide - the region would deteriorate into chaos - and we would be back and they would follow us home."

"I am as convinced of that as anything I have ever been convinced of in my life," said the former Navy pilot and nearly six-year Vietnam prisoner of war.

Breaking with statements from the British government, which has bristled at criticism of their recent withdrawal from Basra, Iraq's second largest city, McCain said the security vacuum left with the departure of British troops might have to be filled with U.S. and Iraqi troops to "restore some order."

"Basra is a cautionary tale about the failed strategy that Rumsfeld tried to employ and that was not having enough boots on the ground to bring about a secure environment," said McCain, a frequent critic of the former Defense Secretary.

But McCain added that a potential "surge" to Basra would not be a significant strain on U.S. forces since they could be shifted from areas pacified by the surge.

"Ramadi is basically secure today," McCain explained. "It's got some problems. But it's basically secure. ... It's just a fact."

Despite his firm support of the current strategy in Iraq - or perhaps because of it - McCain's standing in the race for the Republican nomination has slipped over the last several months as the debate over withdrawal grows more heated on Capitol Hill.

Some political analysts say it is McCain's emphasis on the importance of the Iraq war that has accelerated his decline in the polls, particularly among an American electorate that has grown weary of a bloody war roiling through its fifth year.

But the candidate doesn't see it that way.

"We've had some bumps in the road - some ups and downs that happen in every campaign," he said.

McCain said that although initial setbacks in Iraq may have tarnished America's reputation around the world, recent policies have begun to turn the tide. The election of pro-American leaders in France and Germany - whose governments were previously outspoken foes of America's invasion of Iraq - are positive signs that the world opinion of the United States is improving.

America could increase that momentum, however, by immediately closing the terrorist prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ban all torture of terror suspects, embrace curbs on global warming, and increase opportunities for national service for Americans at home and overseas, he said.

"We're still the strongest nation in the world, the greatest nation in the world ... we still are a beacon of hope and liberty for people around the world," McCain said.

"We can refurbish our image," he added "We've still got a little bit of work to do."

Listen to the entire Military.com interview with Senator McCain here.

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