DES MOINES, Iowa — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) on Wednesday said he’s “not losing any sleep” over a pair of violent Web ads, released by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in recent days, that are critical of Romney’s foreign policy experience.

McCain introduced a second Web ad on the issue Wednesday in a late push to overtake Romney in the GOP presidential contest in several early states.

One version of the ad released Tuesday plays up that imagery extensively. The newer ad uses a comment in which Romney suggests that, if foreign policy experience is the only criterion, the country should find someone from the State Department to be president.

Romney stuck by that assertion when asked about the ads Wednesday in Bettendorf, Iowa.

“If you want an expert in Pakistan, I guess we could go to the State Department and pick out somebody who’s been at the Pakistan desk,” Romney said. “But if you want a leader and a person who has led in critical times and in critical ways, I think I fit the bill.”

McCain has been surging in some of the early states in recent weeks and looks in particular for a victory in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. He also rose to third in the last Des Moines Register poll before Thursday’s Iowa caucuses.

Romney said he has not seen the ads but added that he ran the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and had to deal with terrorism preparation then. He also said he confronted similar homeland security issues as governor.

Romney has attacked McCain’s illegal immigration stance in television ads in recent days, saying McCain wants to allow all illegal immigrants to stay in the country permanently.

“I’m certainly not going to try and detract from [McCain’s] experiences,” Romney said. “He has his; I have mine. We have different approaches. I think he’s a good and honorable man. We just happen to disagree on some important issues.”