Press Trust of India (PTI)
November 12, 2009

Washington, November 11 -- Falling short of
calling it a "mistake", top Republican Senator
John McCain today said he would have met Tibetan
spiritual leader the Dalai Lama if he were the president of the United States.

McCain, who lost to President Barack Obama in the
last year's presidential elections, said this in
an interview to CNN, wherein he was critical of
the Obama Administration adopting a softer
approach on human rights in China and not meeting
the Dalai Lama, when he was here last month.

"I can't say it was a mistake. I have to give the
President the benefit of the doubt," McCain told
CNN in an interview when asked if Obama not
meeting the Dalai Lama was a mistake.

"I would have met with the Dalai Lama. I would
not have -- if I had been Secretary of State -- I
don't think that the secretary of state should
have said before she went on her first visit to
China, that -- she said -- quote -- 'We're not
going to talk about human rights'," McCain said.