Sen McCain warns of 'irrational exuberance' on Iraq

LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) Republican Sen. John McCain warned the White House today against being overly optimistic the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi will turn the tide in Iraq and said he believed more U S troops were needed.

''I think that some of their optimism is understandable, but I hope that it doesn't turn into irrational exuberance because ... it is still very long, very hard, very tough,'' McCain told the Financial Times in an interview.

American officials have hailed the death of the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq in a U S air strike on June 7 as a major victory in the war against insurgents.

President George W Bush, who visited Iraq on June 13 for only the second time since the start of the war in 2003, said he was optimistic fresh intelligence from raids on insurgents would ''disrupt their operations.'' But since Zarqawi's death his group has named a successor and Iraq has been hit by multiple daily car bombings that have killed dozens of people. An al Qaeda-linked group has also said it kidnapped two U S soldiers missing since Friday.

McCain, a decorated Vietnam veteran, former prisoner of war and likely 2008 presidential candidate, said the situation was still very delicate and said he was concerned Bush was under political pressure to withdraw US troops ahead of November congressional elections in the United States.

Rather than withdraw soldiers, McCain said the United States has too few troops in Iraq and is ''like the little Dutch boy with his thumb in the dike.'' ''When I hear of a major operation in Baghdad, or in the Sunni triangle, where the only support (the Iraqis) need is U S air support, and it is successful, then I will believe that we have made progress,'' he said.

''When I can land at the airport at Baghdad and get into a vehicle and drive to the Green Zone, I will believe that we have made progress,'' he added.

McCain said US missteps in Iraq have emboldened Iran.

Iraq's neighbor has significant support from Iraq's Shi'ite community and Washington has accused it of meddling in Iraqi affairs. Relations are also strained over Washington's fears Iran is developing a nuclear weapons program.

REUTERS PDS BST0541