MSNBC - Interview -Transcript
Interview
MSNBC - Interview -Transcript
MSNBC INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR JACK REED (D-RI)
SUBJECT: SOFA AND THE MUMBAI ATTACKS INTERVIEWER: ANDREA MITCHELL
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MS. MITCHELL: Senator Reed joining us now from Capitol Hill. The senator, of course, a top member of the Armed Services Committee. Welcome. Thank you very much.
First of all, I know that you are very close to Bob Gates, you are very close to Barack Obama. You have talked to both of them. How is this team going to work, and do you think that they are such strong personalities that it will be difficult for them to work together?
SEN. REED: I think they'll work very well together. They're both very pragmatic, very bright, very decent and dedicate individuals. They both are committed to serving the nation. I think it's going to be a very productive relationship. I think clearly they appreciate each others' intellgence, and I think both understand that the president of the United States is the commander-in-chief. And certainly Secretary Gates understands that. He will be, I think, very forthright in his advice and very, very sincere in the execution of policy of the president of United States.
MS. MITCHELL: Now, I heard some additional -- some more flexibility on the part of the president-elect on the subject of the 16 month withdrawal. This is what he said today, and let me ask you about it on the other side.
PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: (From recording.) I believe that 16 months is the right timeframe, but -- as I've said consistently -- I will listen to the recommendations of my commanders.
I have complete confidence in Secretary Gates being able to carry out his -- out his tasks. And I think the point is that I didn't go around checking peoples' political registration.
MS. MITCHELL: Now, two points that he was making. One, that of course this is a bipartisan cabinet as he has promised. But on the subject of Iraq and the withdrawal, does the timetable shift at all given the realities on the ground now and this new Status of Force Agreement that has been accepted by the Iraqi government?
SEN. REED: Well, the timetable has shifted dramatically because of the Status of Force Agreement. As you recall, during the campaign, Senator Obama spoke about withdrawing combat troops within 16 months. But we need a residual force for some length after that. Now, the Status of Forces Agreement calls for a withdrawal of all American forces by 2011. So there's now a new dynamic driven by the Status of Force Agreement, which both the president and Secretary Gates will have to deal with.
I think they can. Obviously, they're going to rely upon the opinion of the commanders in the field, but there is -- I think -- the most decisive factor was the agreement between the Bush administration and the Iraqis to sign the Status of Force Agreement.
MS. MITCHELL: Well, Senator, one of the things that he also said was that the -- Americans simply cannot tolerate the kind of extremist behavior from terrorists who perpetrated the disasters last week in Mumbai and targeted Americans, targeted other foreign nationals. What we know about this group, if anything? What advice can you give to this new administration as to how to pursue in this very difficult part of the world?
SEN. REED: Well, this is probably the most challenging part of the world. You have two countries, India and Pakistan, that have nuclear weapons. You have Afghanistan, which is -- once again, being subverted by Taliban and other insurgent groups. And right in the middle of it is Pakistan, with a fragile democratic government, a new government. So we have to move decisively but very carefully in the area.
The groups that seem to be responsible for this are Kashmiri radical groups. In the past, there was some suggestion, there some evidence that contract with the intelligence service of Pakistan. But I believe that this new government of Pakistan is trying to put distance between these groups themselves. The decisive factor is not just putting distance. We have to engage the Pakistani government and their military services and intelligence services in cooperating with all of us, the Indians, the United States, the Afghani forces to begin to preempt and take out these nextworks, because they're a threat not just to India and Afghanistan. They're becoming a threat to Pakistan.
MS. MITCHELL: Isn't there going to be a great deal of pressure on the Indian government to take Pakistan if any links at all are identified. And they have certainly suggested that they do feel that there are Pakistani roots to this terror.
SEN. REED: I think there is going to be pressure. And I think the best way for the Pakistanis to respond to that pressure is to step up their own efforts to demonstrate and to say that they are not simply ignoring this or just chalking it up happenstance. But they're themselves working with us, working hopefully with the whole international community going after these groups. That I think is the best thing that can be done. I think we all have to be very, very conscience and sensitive to an overreaction by anyone in that region because the consequences could be severe.
But the process now of trying to find out definitively through evidence "Who were the culprits?" "How did they operate?" "Did they recieve any support or encouragement from any type of entity in the government?" Obviously, that has to be established. And there then, I think, the whole international community has to move decisively against these groups.
MS. MITCHELL: And finally is there anything that we can offer to India. They already have this closer relationship, the nuclear agreement that bas been agreed to. Is there anything, any additional incentives we can offer the Indians to -- first of all -- not go after Pakistan in this regard and also to step up their own counterterror efforts?
SEN. REED: Well, I believe we can do much more to collaborate with them in terms in sending our experts, like our FBI agents who are going over there, other internal security agents to talk to them about what they can do to bolster their defenses, organize their efforts. And then I think what Senator Obama spoke about last summer in Amman, Jordan. We have to constantly think about these issues not in terms of just Afghanistan, just Pakistan, just India, but in a broader arrangement.
And I'm honestly trying to sponsor some type of very serious discussions between the Indians and the Pakistanis about a host of issues I think would be very, very helpful. And if takes -- progress takes root, then even sending over a major representative of the president to help facilitate it would be good also.
MS. MITCHELL: Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island. One of the Senate's strongest and best experts of all things of military. Thank you very much for joining us.
SEN. REED: Thank you, Andrea.
END.
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