Fox News - Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan. Is Interviewed On Sunday Morning Futures

Interview

SPEAKERS: REP. MIKE POMPEO, R-KAN.

MARIA BARTIROMO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR

BARTIROMO: So, how is this coalition working? Congressman Mike Pompeo is a member of the House intelligence committee. He joins us now.

Congressman, good to have you on the program.

REP. MIKE POMPEO, (R) KANSAS: Good morning. It's good to be with you.

BARTIROMO: I'd love to talk, really, about three things. This international coalition and why the divide? Let's start there, congressman.

I'd also like to get into these other terrorist groups we're hearing so much about like Khorasan.

But start us off with this divide.

POMPEO: So the coalition is better than zero, but we've got a long way to go. We've had real partners step forward in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, folks who are serious about helping us defeat Islamic terrorism in the Middle East, in Iraq and in Syria. We need to do that.

But the coalition has got to be expanded. We've got challenges with folks who refuse to help us in Syria. We've got enormous challenges with our NATO partner, Turkey, refusing to do all that it needs to do. It has a huge obligation to stem the flow of radical terrorists into Syria.

There's a lot more work to do to get all of the powers that have a vested interest in the destruction of these jihadist movements to work together to assist America in defeating them.

BARTIROMO: Why are so many refusing to help us in Syria?

POMPEO: Everybody has got their own reason. Every country has got a reason to avoid it. Look, America has good reasons to be careful about what it does, as well.

But the nature of this threat, the magnitude of this threat, not just to America, but certainly to the bordering states, whether that's Jordan or Turkey or Iraq, these are countries that have to begin to help us tackle these Islamists wherever we find them.

And today, we find the most powerful force of the current time, ISIS, sitting inside of Syria. And we have got to take them out where they are. We cannot allow them to grow. We cannot allow them to operate freely. So we need these countries to join us.

BARTIROMO: Congressman Pompeo, stand by. A lot to talk about with you. We want to look at this two fronts on the same war, who is doing what and where in the international coalition to defeat ISIS. Fox News senior correspondent Eric Shawn with that angle.

Good morning to you, Eric.

ERIC SHAWN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDNET: Good morning, Maria. And good morning, everyone.

More countries are stepping up, but critics say two key nations, Turkey and Qatar, have done far from enough.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, FRENCH PRESIDNET (through translator): It is against this group that France has mobilized and was called to help by Iraqi authorities.

Also, the air operations, because there are no ground troops, these operations will continue as long as necessary.

SHAWN: There are now 62 countries in this coalition, as varied as Albania and Andorra as well as Israel and Moldova, but the variety of their contributions range from already launching attacks in Iraq and Syria to promises of humanitarian aid.

Britain, Belgium, Denmark and The Netherlands are the latest to offer the military, but have yet to launch any air strikes.

So far, the U.S., France, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Bahrain have done that while the United Arab Emirates, now famously took part with their mission led by their woman fighter pilot Major Mariam al- Mansouri.

But Qatar, which has supported and funded Islamic radicals is backing the operation -- is not backing the operation directly. And, of course, Turkey, which is facing that immense border refugee problem and that crisis and has helped fund ISIS through the oil trade and the flow of foreign fighters, well, Turkey has been refused of doing its part despite promises by their president to the contrary.

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY (through translator): Of course, we will do our part. God willing, we will discuss it with our government. We will show our support in accordance with the decision that will be taken after those discussions.

REPORTER: Will it include the military option?

ERDOGAN (through translator): It includes everything, both military and political.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SHAWN: Well, so far, European nations have refused to attack Syria, as Maria addressed, not wanting to help the government of Bashar al Assad, which has not asked for the airstrikes unlike Iraq. That, though, could soon change as the new war, we're told, is likely to last for years -- Maria.

BARTIROMO: All right, Eric, thanks very much for that. Eric Shawn.

More now with Kansas Congressman Mike Pompeo.

And Mike, congressman, let me ask you about that. In terms of the air strikes, how would you characterize their success so far, whether it be in Iraq or in anticipation of Syria?

POMPEO: You know, I'm glad that the president has finally taken action. I would characterize these strikes so far as too little and at least a couple of years behind schedule.

These are attacks that are necessary. They've begun to take out some of the ISIS's capacity to regenerate wealth, whether that is wheat silos and refineries that are mobile. Those are good things, but those are tactics, Maria. There needs to be a strategy developed around these strikes so that we can win as news reported indicated, what is going to be a very long struggle against radical Islamic terrorism.

These attacks are a necessary component, but they're far from sufficient.

BARTIROMO: Are there things we should be doing to stop the funding of ISIS? I mean, clearly they're selling all of this oil on the black market making up to $3 million a day. How do we get our arms around that?

POMPEO: Enormous economy has been developed inside of ISIS, not only trading oil and crops, but getting money from outside from third party terrorist sympathizers, they also have drug trade, sort of like you'd see in the Mafia in the United States, getting money any way they can.

America has the capacity to shut this down. It will take time, and most importantly, it will take a president who is committed to it. This president has been drug into this by kicking and screaming. It's not why he ran for office. But they've declared war on America, and so we have to use these financial tools, everything that's in our arsenal to make sure that we can cut off their capacity to continue to grow, continue to arm, continue to pay folks to come and fight alongside them.

If we do those things and continue this in the context of a strategy to defeat them and not simply run into a little road bump and back away, if we do that, we'll be successful in this battle.

BARTIROMO: Well, let me ask you about the newly surfaced terror group, Khorasan. How many other terrorist groups like Khorasan are we not aware of? And was there an imminent threat to the United State which was the trigger for the air strikes within the last week and a half?

POMPEO: Maria, there are scores of groups that have of the nature of what is now being called Khorasan. Remember who these folks are, these are old-school al Qaeda warriors who have been fighting alongside Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri, now Wahashi in Yemen, these are at the very core of the history of al Qaeda. And ISIS is little more than an offshoot of that, that has not gained strength.

This is a continuous struggle. They will continue to try and build their forces until America steps in decisively and says, we're prepared to do this for the long run.

The imminency of the threat was real on America. I would tell you that that threat continues today. These folks want to attack not just in Mosul and Tikrit and Falluja, but in places like Omaha and Wichita, Kansas, that I represent. They are a serious threat to our nation and that's why it's required that we get this right, we get a strategy right to defeat them.

BARTIROMO: Is there anything we should be doing differently as it relates to the Qataris and the Turks to try and get them to understand -- to get on this coalition and be more helpful to the U.S. and its allies?

POMPEO: Yeah, two things come to mind immediately. With respect to the Turks, they are a NATO partner, they're a member of a group that has committed to participating in challenges just like this one. And so we need to make clear to them that NATO membership comes with a burden and a responsibility.

As for the Qataris, we have an enormous set of resources inside their country. We need to make clear to them that our expectations are that they will cut this off, that they will cease cooperating with Radical Islamic terrorists of whatever stripe. And in the absence of that, that America's willingness to continue to be in their country to do the things in their nation is not likely to continue.

BARTIROMO: Congressman, good to have you on the program. Thanks so much for your insights.

POMPEO: Thank you, Maria. You have a good day.

END

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