CNN "The Lead with Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Islamic State Strategy

Interview

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JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.

We're going to continue now with our world lead. Just hours from now, we'll hear the president's plan for taking on what is being called the most vicious, well-funded militant terrorist organization the world has ever seen by some. So what will the plan look like some could this spiral into a new, full-blown war for the United States? Will Congress and the American people stand behind President Obama's strategy?

Let's bring in Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota.

Senator, thanks so much for joining us.

I'm sure you're in the same situation President Obama is in some ways. You don't want to fall prey to the war fever that infects the Beltway every few years. At the same time, these terrorists from ISIS are horrific and do pose a threat to the region.

What do you want to hear from the president tonight?

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D), MINNESOTA: Well, I think this is a great opportunity for the president to lay out a clear, national security strategy for the country to show, why we have to continue and expand these airstrikes into Syria. I know this first hand in my state.

We literally have ISIS recruiting young men in our state and they're doing it mostly over social media, and we've literally had one of them be killed. He went over and he knew what he was doing and he joined a terrorist organization, but we've -- there are also reports that we have others there.

I've met with our law enforcement this weekend. I talked to our U.S. attorney, and they're clearly working with the Somali community. We're proud of our Somali community. We have 80,000 to 100,000 Somalis in Minnesota, half of the Somalis that are in the country, and we've been able to work with them effectively and to go after these cases of suicide bombings with al Shabaab in Somalia, and we've been able to prosecute those cases, nine convictions, 20 indictments so far because the community worked with us.

We're doing the same thing here, but, of course, the best way to stop the recruiting is to stop ISIL.

TAPPER: And, of course, when you were referring to -- there are others, you meant that there are others in Syria and Iraq. You didn't mean that they were in Minnesota or did you?

KLOBUCHAR: No. Clearly, we've heard about them being recruited --

TAPPER: OK.

KLOBUCHAR: -- and going overseas and they're trying to stop them from going overseas, but this can lead to all kinds of concerns for our own homeland security.

That's why I think it's really important that the president lay out that national security as well as the work that he's doing to work with other countries. I thought it was really positive news that the secretary-general of the Arab League asked all 22 countries in the Arab League to provide not just political support for this effort, but military support. We know we can't do this alone and that's what we need to hear tonight as well as what the limits are, this action and why it is necessary. I mean, you're right, Jake. Americans went through a lot. I personally didn't think we should go into Iraq, but because of that, when you have an evil like this, when you have a clear case where we have a terrorist group that is spreading beyond one country, that is beheading innocent journalist --

TAPPER: Yes.

KLOBUCHAR: -- and that is raping women, selling them, we have to make a clear case and the president has to do that tonight.

TAPPER: How -- in terms of the military strategy, how long are you willing to commit to Americans fighting in Iraq and potentially Syria? Would you agree to only a short-term operation? Is this something that you would give open-ended support for?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, first of all, we're going to hear from the president tonight and we're going to be thoroughly briefed tomorrow, which I think is very important to know the facts as a former prosecutor before you lay out what you think should happen. But I know for one thing, I support this idea that we need to train the moderate Syrian forces. I went to Jordan and Turkey with Senator Gillibrand and Graham and Hoeven over a year ago, we came back, met with the president, made that case, and I think that's the first thing Congress needs to do under Title 10 is to make sure that we are authorizing --

TAPPER: Right.

KLOBUCHAR: -- that provision of equipment, that would be a very concrete thing that we can do that I don't need to be briefed about to know that that is necessary, having been in the area.

TAPPER: Senator, let me ask you about the moderate Syrian rebels. A month ago, President Obama told "The New York Times" about arming the rebels, quote, "With respect to Syria, the notion that arming the rebels would have made a difference has always been a fantasy." That's what President Obama called it just a few weeks ago.

What's changed in the last four weeks that makes arming the moderates in Syria now such a good idea?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, first of all, I had thought that this is something we need to look at as well as a no-fly zone over a year ago, but the fact that the president is reconsidering it, and looking at equipment, I think that's something we all want to hear about tonight and something we're going to be briefed on, what the intelligence is that led him to that position.

So, I think that is the number one thing that Congress needs to do. As for a longer action that you're talking about, clearly, the president is not talking about combat troops on the ground, but if this is a lengthy engagement, I think Congress should look at and is going to look at having this come before Congress.

But what we want to do is carefully consider that language. We certainly learned a lesson in Iraq. I support the president doing these airstrikes as soon as possible in Iraq and in Syria, making sure that we are training and giving the equipment to those moderate forces that are in Syria and then moving on from there if this is an expanded conflict, working with our allies and after we get the briefing, to figure out what kind of force beyond the airstrikes if we're going to go for prolonged conflict would be necessary. And yes, I do think that type of prolonged conflict should come to Congress.

TAPPER: All right. Senator Amy Klobuchar, you anticipated my last question. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.

KLOBUCHAR: OK, very good. Yes, thanks.

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