News Brief07:44 AM

(IsraelNN.com) Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain said Wednesday. "I believe a reckless and premature withdrawal would be a terrible defeat for our security interests and our values" and that it would increase the influence of Iran, "a country of nuclear ambitions [with a] desire to destroy the state of Israel." Democratic presidential candidates Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have called for phased withdrawals from Iraq, where more than 4,000 American soldiers have died since the American invasion.

Sen. McCain, speaking about his proposed foreign policy, said he favored an "alliance of democracies," which would include Israel.