CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Olympic Games Security

Interview

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BLITZER: All right, let's dig a little bit deeper now.

Joining us, Congressman Michael McCaul.

He's the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

Congressman, thanks very much for joining us.

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL, (R-TX), CHAIRMAN, HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: Thanks for having me, Wolf.

BLITZER: As far as you know, are Americans specifically being targeted in this so-called toothpaste explosives plot?

MCCAUL: I don't believe Americans are targeted. The beef they have is really with the Russians.

However, if you blow up an airline, an airplane, you will have innocent civilians that could include Americans. And remember, the leader of the Northern Caucasus, who's leading this war against the Russians that is radical Islamists, has called for attacks on civilians, including men and women.

So I do think they're really discriminating really between Americans and Russians. But I do think their main targets are the Russians.

BLITZER: You've suggested that these are specific, credible threats.

So what can you tell us about these threats, specifically, two Americans?

MCCAUL: Well, they are specific and credible to the aviation sector. The Department of Homeland Security warned the airlines and foreign governments that this explosive compound can be put in tubes of toothpaste and cosmetics. So they're banning those from being brought on board any airplane flying into Russia. And that's, I think, a good procedures, the good news.

And I do think this is the one area where the Russians have really cooperated with our intelligence community to try to disrupt an active plot that's ongoing to disrupt the Olympics. So that's the good news.

Internally, the Russians aren't really cooperating with us in terms of intelligence and information sharing. But externally, they have uncovered this plot. We are working with them and we are taking steps to prevent this from happening.

BLITZER: You -- you mentioned yesterday that the arrests in France and Austria of these so-called black widows could be significant.

What role would the Department of Homeland Security have played in -- in any of this?

And specifically, did the toothpaste warnings originate from the arrests of these so-called black widows?

MCCAUL: Well, I have been briefed extensively. I can't go into all of the details regarding that. But our intelligence is good. There are two black widows in custody in France. There were six Austrians that were detained and questioned, and for lack of evidence, let go. They are under surveillance currently. They are of concern, obviously.

And -- but I can't go any further than that.

BLITZER: Did the toothpaste threat, though -- and if you can't answer it, you can't answer it, originate with the arrest of these folks in Paris and Vienna?

MCCAUL: Well, I can tell you, the plot itself originated from the leader of the Chechen rebel extremists, Umarov. That's where this plot actually hatched out of. There have been reports that he's been killed since then, but the issue is the plot has been hatched, it is out there.

The good news, again, Wolf, is that our intelligence community, working with the FSB, are very much on top of this. And it's my sincere hope that they -- they're starting to disrupt it and I hope that they can stop it from happening.

BLITZER: And I -- and if you can't answer this, don't answer it, but these so-called black widows, were they involved in possible airline bombing plots?

MCCAUL: Well, remember, black widows have blown up avia -- airplanes going from Moscow to Sochi in 2004. This is nothing new.

I can't make that specific link between the black widows in France and this aviation threat at this time, given the briefings that I have had.

But remember, every -- every Chechen rebel slain in Dagestan has a widow attached to him. And they are all considered black widows. The Russians are pretty heavy-handed in their security. They have put them -- most of them under house arrest. That is the other threat internally in Russia, would be these suicide bombing black widows that could disrupt the Olympics.

So you have really two threats going on. One is the aviation sector, and one would be the suicide bombers within Russia, which I think there's a high probability that one of those will probably go off again.

We've already seen two, as you know, expected in December, blowing up a train station and a bus.

BLITZER: In Volgograd, which is a few hundred miles away.

I've been told that the area where the athletes and the venues are taking place, that's probably pretty secure. But if there are terrorist attacks, it would happen just outside that area, where there's less security.

Is that your understanding, as well?

MCCAUL: Yes, Wolf, I think that's a correct analysis. I was in Sochi. I saw the ring of steel. It's a -- although one of the black widows did penetrate it, it's very heavily fortified, with 100,000 security officials, including the Russian military. It should be very difficult to get in.

But they can score just as easy of a victory by hitting a softer target outside the ring of steel.

What's an important point to make is that the eyes of the world will be on these Olympic Games. They've been fighting this war, the Russians, for over 100 years. And this is, in their eyes, their moment to make a very visible public statement.

And that's why I think the percentage and probability is very high that something could happen at the Games.

But I -- I would argue that it most likely would happen outside the Olympic Village and outside the Games.

BLITZER: Yes, that's what I've been told repeatedly over these past few days, as well.

And one -- one concern that U.S. intelligence has -- and you know a lot more about this than I do -- is that if there is some sort of soft target hit outside of the main venues, shall we say, Putin and the Russians, they will pounce big time. There will be a harsh crackdown.

And who knows what happens after that?

Is that a serious concern?

MCCAUL: Oh, very serious. I mean they're cracking down right now in Dagestan. They don't have a constitution like we do, and due process, so they can pretty much go into neighborhoods. They -- they went into Sochi and went door-to-door. You have to be registered in -- in Russia, and if you're not, you get kicked out. So they kicked out a lot of residents in the Sochi area that were not registered under the law.

So a response to any attack would be very heavy-handed by the Russians. They would probably not want it to be very public because of the impact it will have on the Olympics.

But again, a -- an attack outside the perimeter will probably have just as much of a political and terrorist impact as inside and probably get a lot of attention.

BLITZER: Any...

MCCAUL: I know Putin is trying to -- trying to balance the trying to be invisible versus visible in terms of security right now.

BLITZER: And I know that these terrorists have been thinking about doing something for four, five, six, almost seven years, they've been plotting this moment, because they hate Putin so much. Hopefully, it won't happen, but we'll watch, together with you.

Congressman McCaul, thanks so much for sharing some thoughts with us.

MCCAUL: Thanks, Wolf.

Thanks for having me.

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