McCain: 'Iraq is unraveling'

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says Iraq is in the process of "unraveling" and could eventually split into three different states, blaming the Obama administration for a failure to secure a long-term troop presence in the country.

"Iraq is unraveling. It's unraveling because we didn't keep a residual force there because the president of the United States pledged to get out of Iraq," McCain said in an interview aired Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." "And we could have kept a residual force there and kept some stability. Instead it's unraveling and Iran's influence is increasing. And there's every possibility you could see a very chaotic situation"

McCain declined to say whether he foresaw the possibility of an outright civil war, but said the country could certain break up into three different states.

"There's clearly an unraveling going on which could eventually lead basically into three different kind of states in Iraq. We needed to keep a residual force there. And that was what the Bush administration envisioned and that's what we should have done."

McCain went on to say that the Obama administration did not effectively pressure the Iraqi government into allowing American troops to remain long-term.

"The Iraqis were ready to deal on the issue. This administration did not give them a number [of troops]," the Arizona Republican told CBS.

"Leading from behind is not what this world needs," McCain said, in a shot at a comment that an anonymous advisor to President Obama made to the New Yorker last year.