FOX "Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace" - Transcript: Iraq

Interview

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WALLACE: We're not doing that now.

General Keane, thank you so much.

Now, let's get reaction to the new U.S. role in Iraq from two key senators. First, Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a member of the Armed Services Committee.

Senator, after President Obama declared his new policy of airstrikes and humanitarian airdrops, you sent out this tweet. Let's put it on the screen, "The actions announced tonight will not turn the tide of battle."

But President Obama says we can't do that. We can't roll back ISIS, take the offensive measures that General Keane was talking about until we get an inclusive government in Baghdad so all the factions in that country are joining in the fight.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C., ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: Well, that's not accurate. When I look at the map that the General Keane described, I think of the United States. I think of an American city in flames because of the terrorist ability to operate in Syria and Iraq. The director of national security, the FBI director, the director of homeland security has said that the ISIS presence in Syria where hundreds of Americans and thousands of European fighters have gone, represents a direct threat to the United States, and now, their enclave in Iraq.

So, Mr. President, you have never once spoken directly to the American people about the threat we face from being attacked from Syria, now Iraq. What is your strategy to stop these people from attacking the homeland? They have expressed a desire to do so.

So, there's no political reconciliation in Baghdad going to protect the American homeland. That has to be a commander-in-chief with a strategy and a vision. This commander-in=chief has no strategy. He has no vision.

This is a situation where he knows better than everybody else. He was told he should get engaged in Syria three years ago by his national security team. He said no, his military commander said you should leave troops in Iraq as an insurance policy, and he got the no.

WALLACE: So, what do you think we're accomplishing with these very targeted, very limited airstrikes against, as I say, an individual artillery piece in Irbil who are a specific vehicle outside Mt. Sinjar?

GRAHAM: A bad news story. He's trying to avoid a bad news story on his watch. This is not a replacement for a strategy to deal with an existential threat to the homeland. To every member of Congress, you've been told by every major intelligence leader in our nation that we're threatened. The homeland is threatened by the presence of ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

To change that threat, we have to have a sustained air campaign in Syria and Iraq. We need to go on offense. There is no force within the Mideast that can neutralize or contain or destroy ISIS without at least American air power.

Mr. President, be honest with the American people about the threats we face to the members of congress who say stop -- what is your alternative if we stop to protecting the homeland?

WALLACE: But after getting all U.S. troops out of Iraq in 2011, the president made it very clear on Thursday when he announced it and yesterday before he went to Martha's Vineyard, we're not getting back into another war, another full-out campaign in Iraq. Take a look.

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OBAMA: As commander-in-chief, I will not allow the United States to be dragged into fighting another war in Iraq. So, even as we support Iraqis as they take the fight to these terrorists, there's no American military solution to the larger crisis in Iraq.

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OBAMA: As commander-in-chief, I will not allow the United States to be dragged into fighting another war in Iraq. So, even as we support Iraqis as they take the fight to these terrorists, there's no American military solution to the larger crisis in Iraq.

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WALLACE: Senator Graham, are you saying we should go back to war in Iraq?

GRAHAM: I'm saying Iraq and Syria combined represent a direct threat to our homeland. The day the president raised his right hand to become president for a second time, his constitutional responsibility as commander-in-chief trumps any political promise.

What is going on in Washington when the FBI director, when the head of national intelligence, the CIA, the homeland security secretary tells every member of Congress, including the president, we're about to be attacked in a serious way because of the threat emanating from Syria and Iraq?

His responsibility as president is to defend this nation. If he does not go on the offensive against ISIS, ISIL, whatever you want to call these guys, they are coming here. This is not just about Baghdad. This is not just about Syria. It is about our homeland.

And if we get attacked because he has no strategy to protect us, then he will have committed a blunder for the ages.

WALLACE: But, you know, President Obama likes to say what happens next? What happens the day after?

If we go into a full-fledged air campaign against ISIS, as you say, both in Iraq and in Syria, then we're in the middle of two civil wars in Iraq and in Syria. Do we really want to do that? Do we really want to go back full fledged into these two countries and we know how Iraq turned out. That wasn't so great.

GRAHAM: Do you really want to let America be attacked? You're having people on the ground slaughtering Christians. They have four goals: to make every Muslim bend to their will, to destroy the Christian population in the Mideast, to drive us out, and eventually destroy Israel. So, here's my statement to the president -- Mr. President, your own people are telling you we face an attack on this region. Your game plan, the actions you're taking, cannot protect us. There is no substitute for America being involved in terms of eradicating ISIS. If we don't hit them in Syria, you'll never solve the problem in Iraq.

Three years ago, Mr. President, you were told by your national security team, get involved, armed the rebels because this problem will grow. You said no.

You made many, many bad bets. Your strategy is failing. You told us bin Laden is dead, we're safe.

Since bin Laden has died, there are more terrorist organizations with more safe havens, with more money, with more weapons, and more capabilities to attack the homeland than there was before 9/11.

Mr. President, if you don't adjust your strategy, these people are coming here.

WALLACE: President Obama bristled Saturday when he was asked about the fact he pulled all U.S. troops out, and was that responsible for this threat of ISIS. He said, look, it was Iraq that didn't want to make the deal for a carry on a status of forces agreement. Take a look at what the president said.

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OBAMA: That entire analysis is bogus and is wrong, but gets frequently pedaled around here by folks who oftentimes are trying to defend previous policies they themselves make made.

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WALLACE: Question, is that a bogus argument by people who were wrong about Iraq in the first place? I suspect he would suggest you (ph).

GRAHAM: The president -- yes, and I'm telling the president, you're rewriting history at your own convenience.

You got the answer you wanted. You promised to get us out of Iraq and you were hell-bent to get out of Iraq. When everybody told you, you need to leave a force behind, you made it impossible for the Iraqis to say yes.

Mr. President, you authored us getting out of Iraq, and during a debate with Governor Romney, Romney suggested I could support 10,000 troops like the president intends to leave behind, and the president said in the debate, I'm not leaving any troops behind. I'm not going to get entangled in Iraq yet again.

Mr. President, you're rewriting history.

WALLACE: Senator Graham, thank you. Thanks for coming in today.

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