McCain never said he was. The reporter/news agency sought to imply that through the use of a deceptive title and presentation.
Throw that aside and read the original question and read the answer McCain gave. The question was about Afghanistan AND Iraq.
Patreaus is responsible for Iraq and would be consulted regarding the feasibility of moving troops from Iraq to Afghanistan.
McCain never said or implied that Patreaus was responsible for Afghanistan. He never said Patreaus would make the decision about such a move either.
You got spun by the McPaper conglomerate, Wamland.
McPaper (McDonald's Newspaper) is a negative nickname for USA Today and its parent company Gannett, coined by editorial writers who fought to keep their papers out of Gannett's clutches back in the 1980s.