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BLITZER: Yes, Thanks very much for that.
We're going to stay on top of this conference, this summit that's underway at the White House, as well.
We'll get back to you.
Let's get some more now on what's going on.
Joining us, Republican Congressman Peter King of New York.
He's a member of the House Homeland Security and Intelligence Committees.
Congressman, thanks very much for joining us.
REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, you just heard Jim Acosta report that the White House summit is going on. It's called "Countering Violent Extremism."
As you know, there's been a lot of criticism that that's a relatively vague term, they're not using the phrase "radical Islamic extremism" or "Islamist extremism."
Do you agree with that criticism, they should specifically be referring to Islamic extremism at this summit?
KING: Yes, Wolf, absolutely. That's the enemy. That's why the reason is -- that's the reason this summit is called. That's the one who is causing the violence that we're concerned about. They're the ones who are burning people to death.
And it seems to me like this is becoming more of a hand-holding type. Like when the vice president talks about how we have to engage those who may feel disenfranchised, you know, when Franklin Roosevelt defeated Hitler and Tojo and he used the Army and the Navy, the Air Corps, the Marines, he didn't use the WVA. I mean, the fact is, we have to -- we have to stop them and kill them first and then we can worry about social reasons.
But if we think that we're going to stop ISIS by somehow finding what's bothering them psychologically -- for instance, when they were saying the other day that, you know, these people are marginalized, they don't have jobs. Bin Laden was one of the richest people in the Middle East. Anywhere you go in the Middle East there's these large construction projects by the bin Laden company.
You talk about Mohammad Atta or the other hijackers, many of them were college graduates or college students.
So to me, it's missing the whole point. This is a -- an ideology. It's a twisted ideology based on a twisted interpretation of a religion.
But to somehow make it out to be a social problem, to me, is just missing the target altogether.
BLITZER: I don't think they consider it just a social problem. But here's the question. What difference would it really make if all of a sudden that word Islam or Islamic or Islamist were included as part of this conversation?
In practical terms, how would that make a difference?
Because you really want to go after those extremists, don't you?
KING: And an Islamic -- these are Islamist extremists. These aren't animal lovers. These aren't environmental advocates. You're talking about people who are motivated by an Islamist ideology. And therefore, we have to zero in on that.
We're not talking about extremism generally or terrorism generally. It's the -- this terrorist threat to us today comes from a small but very violent segment of Muslims. It's based on their interpretation of Islam.
And if we're going to address it, if we're going to -- if we are going to address the core reasons, we should, also, then show why this is not truly representative of Islam.
But to do that, we have to say that it does identify itself with Islam. And we have to separate that out.
So to me, it's almost like we're afraid to confront the enemy. If you don't identify your enemy, it's hard to mobilize support against it.
BLITZER: But it does refer to a tiny element of the billion plus Muslims who are out there.
KING: In ISIS. But, on the other hand, when you see jailing, this often goes beyond just 1 or 2 percent who do support jihad and do support terrorist activity. So I think we have to make it clear that it does come from that community. It's not large, but it's large enough that it's causing, right now, all these vast murders throughout the world. These terrorist attacks, as we saw on 9/11, caused massive deaths here in our own country.
BLITZER: All right, let's talk about the recent attacks in Denmark, Copenhagen and in Paris. You heard Jim Sciutto report that it appears as though those attacks, those two attacks in Paris, at the offices of the magazine, "Charlie Hebdo," that kosher supermarket, were a lot more coordinated than we originally thought.
You're a member of the Intelligence Committee.
Tell us the latest information that you can share with us on how sophisticated that operation really was.
KING: Well, there was certainly a level of sophistication to it. While I can't go into details, we shouldn't be surprised that there was coordination, whether it involved ISIS and al Qaeda, because, really, over the last several years, you see this type of cross pollination or cooperation. You've seen it with al Qaeda and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, with al-Shabab.
These groups, while they're distinct, at the same time they share a lot. And a lot of them have even members who do belong to one group or another at different times.
So they do share an overriding ideology. They have differences on how they carry it out, what the emphasis is. Like al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is more concerned about attacking the United States, it appears, than ISIS is. But the thing is, they basically have the same philosophy and the same ideology, so -- and it's not surprising that they would be working together on various operations.
BLITZER: So I just want to be precise, Congressman, this was a joint AQAP, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula/ISIS operation to go after that magazine in Paris and then go after that Jewish supermarket?
KING: Well, that's what the reports say, you know, the public reports. I can't comment on what the intelligence community is saying. But, obviously, you've seen that in the public reports, what they are. And I have no reason to doubt that.
BLITZER: So is ISIS working together with AQAP now?
KING: I would not be surprised to see that happening. Again, I'm -- based certainly on what you have in "Le Monde," that certainly appears to be the case. And you do see this level of cooperation that's happened over the years. AQAP has also worked with al-Shabab at times. So -- and also with al Qaeda.
So they -- they do work together when they have to. And there's no reason why ISIS would not be part of that axis, if you will.
BLITZER: All right, I'm going to move on.
I want to take a quick break.
But we have more to discuss.
KING: Sure.
BLITZER: But I -- the bottom line, as far as the Paris attacks are concerned, from everything you know, everything you heard, it's fair to say -- and I don't want to put words in your mouth -- this was an AQAP/ISIS attack.
KING: I would have said based on published reports, I have no reason to doubt them.
BLITZER: All right. Congressman, stand by. We have a lot more to discuss. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Breaking now, the French newspaper, "Le Monde," reporting that the Paris terror attacks on the magazine offices in Paris, later the kosher supermarket attack, they were coordinated with the gunmen communicating by text, possibly even meeting the morning of the first attack.
We're back with Republican Congressman Peter King of New York. He's a member of the House Homeland Security and Intelligence committees.
Congressman, those attacks in Paris and now the attacks in Copenhagen that we've been watching, eerily similar. The attacks in Paris going after a magazine first, then going after a Jewish kosher supermarket. The attacks in Copenhagen going after cartoonists and then, a few hours later, going after a synagogue.
What's going on here? Is there coordination, in other words, between Paris and Copenhagen?
KING: That, Wolf, is still being examined. It's being investigated fully. Certainly, if nothing else, one is inspired by the other, and it appears that we see ISIS and their supporters. They focus, first of all, on anything that involves free speech. We saw that, obviously, with the magazine, and we saw it now with the cartoonist who they attempted to get.
And then make it clear, though, that they have an ultimate enemy, and that's Jews, whether it's the kosher deli or it's the synagogue, they are motivated by extreme hatred of Jews and Christians, as we've seen in Egypt. But certainly, these two attacks in Europe, where they went for the Jewish target as the second one. Again, that's no coincidence. That's not just people happening, folks. It's Jews that go to Jewish delis. It's Jews that go to synagogues, just like it's Catholics and Christians that go to churches. So no, this is definitely a target. And either it's synchronized or it's one being inspired by the other.
But again, I think that's why this is being fully investigated to see what connections there are, if any. Or if there are any, is there any Central Command, or is there any worry out there as to how they should carry these out?
BLITZER: And we now know, and it's very disturbing, the gunman in Copenhagen, he pledged allegiance to ISIS on social media, and it's very disturbing. But is it just pledging allegiance, or do you think ISIS itself coordinated and helped plan this attack in Copenhagen?
KING: Now Wolf, again, that's something we have to determine. And again, there's more and more evidence coming out that he was radicalized while he was in prison. And that's something we've been concerned about here in the U.S., when I was chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. We -- we investigated the prison radicalizations. And that is something where almost a brainwashing sets in. So I think we'll have to explore that more, too, as to who his brainwashers were when he was in prison, what factions of al Qaeda they came from, if anyone in particular or it was just radical jihadists.
BLITZER: You say ISIS, these terror groups are going after Jews. They're going after Christians, like 21 Egyptian Christians...
KING: Right.
BLITZER: ... were beheaded in Libya. As you know, the Egyptian military is now going after those ISIS targets in Libya. It's not just Jews and Christians; Yezidis, that's a small religious group in Iraq. They're really going after them. But most of their victims -- correct me if I'm wrong -- have been fellow Muslims. Right?
KING: Right. Muslims who do not go along with their interpretation of Islam.
And that's where, Wolf, I think the White House has been deficient here when they talk about folks being killed or citizens being killed. The other day the Egyptian -- there were Coptic Christians who were killed because they were Coptic Christians, not just citizens of Egypt. It was Jews in the deli, not just folks who happened to be there.
And you're right. They're going after different segments, different minority groups, different elements of Islam. So they are really carrying out this religious and ethnic war. And we should -- we should point that out, not just make it out that they're terrorists randomly attacking folks or randomly attacking citizens. They're attacking people whose religious views are different from theirs, whose ethnic makeup is different from theirs, and, again, certainly anyone among Islam who does not share their distorted interpretation of Islam. So this is a religious war and an ethnic war. I know it's a genocidal type war being carried out by ISIS.
BLITZER: And let's not forget the Jordanian F-16 fighter pilot who was burned in that steel cage by ISIS, a fellow Muslim himself, a fellow Arab, as well.
KING: Right.
BLITZER: Do you have confidence that the Iraqi army right now can handle this fight against ISIS?
KING: No, I don't. I think that it's going to require a strong coordination by the U.S. I think we should have more Americans embedded with the Iraqi army. Listen, they were just vanquished four or five months ago. And there's no way they can recover that quickly during the four- or five-month period. This is going to require intense training and coordination. And so no, I do not have confidence in them at this stage.
BLITZER: Do you believe the U.S. should expand its airstrikes not only against ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq but also now in Libya?
KING: I think the U.S. should carry out attacks anywhere it thinks it would be helpful to defeat ISIS. The president as commander in chief, I believe, strongly believe has that right, and I think he has a responsibility. Because ISIS is showing itself to be a region-wide phenomenon. And if it's -- if there are targets there, then I believe, yes, we should go after them. BLITZER: All right. Peter King, thanks very much for joining us.
KING: Thank you, Wolf.
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