CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

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BLITZER: Let's go in depth now with the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, the Texas Republican, Congressman Mike McCaul.

Congressman, thanks very much for joining us.

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

BLITZER: Just quickly, have you actually watched this video, the beheading of Steven Sotloff?

MCCAUL: Yes, I did. It's a very chilling, disturbing video, very similar to the execution of James Foley, as well. The executioner appears to be the same individual that we saw in the Foley video, left-handed, a British accent. But just very, again, a chilling reminder of how brutal ISIS is, how savage they are and how intent they are on killing Americans.

BLITZER: The numbers we've heard -- and you're the chairman of the committee, so you probably have more precise numbers -- maybe a dozen Americans have actually gone over to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS.

Is that right?

MCCAUL: No, that number is actually much larger than what you stated. I believe, based on the briefings I've received, that we are talking somewhere in the range of between 100 to 200 Americans that are over in Syria and Iraq joining the fight, in addition to the tens of thousands of other foreign fighters, including a lot of Western Europeans, all of which, as you have pointed out, have Western passport and travel documents. Which is why the biggest, you know, what is the homeland security concern here?

It's the fact that we have Americans and those with travel documents that can come back to the United States and perpetrate an act of terrorism. And that's -- we're on a, really, a high state of alert right now.

BLITZER: Because that 100 to 200 number I had been told, but you have more precise information, includes all the various terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria, al-Nusra, not just ISIS. I had been told maybe a dozen that they know of working with ISIS. But there are a lot more working, for example, with another terrorist group called Al-Nusra.

MCCAUL: Well, Al-Nusra is the al Qaeda -- core al Qaeda affiliate in the Syria.

But what we do know is there are between 100 to 200 Americans in the region. I would argue, Wolf, that we don't have precise intelligence on the ground to determine who -- which al Qaeda faction they're working for or fighting with. But the fact is, those numbers are very alarming to me and they should concern the American people.

BLITZER: And they're alarming to me, as well. And there are hundreds of Europeans who are serving with ISIS, is al-Nusra, some of the other terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria. They have European passports and they could enter the United States without visas fairly easily, as well.

Congressman, Mr. Chairman, I want you to stand by for a moment.

We have a lot more to discuss, specifically about the threat to the U.S. homeland from ISIS and these other terrorist groups.

We'll continue our conversation with Congressman McCaul right at this.

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BLITZER: Let's get right back to the breaking news.

A new ISIS video apparently showing the beheading of a second American journalist, Steven Sotloff. He disappeared in Syria last year. It comes two weeks after a video showing the murder of the American journalist, James Foley.

We're back with the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Texas Republican Congressman Mike McCaul.

I just want to clarify one more time, the number of Americans, Congressman, serving with terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria, including, ISIS, you say between 100 and 200, is that right?

MCCAUL: The numbers that we've received and, of course, they're not 100 percent accurate, is that there are around 100 to 200 Americans that are in the region joining this fight. And that is of grave concern, certainly not only to the region, but from a homeland security standpoint, because of their ability to travel back to the United States. And we saw a case like that in Florida, where the individual traveled back to Florida and then went back to Syria again and was a suicide bomber.

What if he had stayed in Florida and detonated a car bomb in the United States instead?

So that is why is intelligence officials and Homeland Security officials are so concerned about this threat.

BLITZER: We heard the British prime minister, David Cameron, in recent days raise the threat level in Britain.

Is it time for the U.S. to raise the threat level here?

MCCAUL: Well, I think, you know, that this -- these chilling videos are a reminder, it's a wake-up call for the American people as to the threat that ISIS presents, again, to the United States, that they are intent on killing Americans. They would love nothing better than to pull off something in the homeland. And they talk in their own words about we're in your cities, we're in your streets. And that's what we're very concerned about.

I think we are on a higher state of alert. We've had two be on the lookout notices by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, basically alerting state and locals to look for suspicious activities.

And so I do think that the prime minister in the U.K. is moving forward in the right direction. I would encourage the president to do so, but more so in terms of eliminating the threat overseas where ISIS exists, rather than allowing them the opportunity to come to the United States.

BLITZER: Should the U.S., Congressman, be taking special precautions?

Coming up in a few days, the anniversary of 9/11, September 11th?

MCCAUL: Sadly and unfortunately, the answer is yes. They -- they take anniversaries very seriously in terms of when they choose to attack in the United States. Al Qaeda likes to pick anniversaries. They like to pick large sporting events, for instance, like the Boston Marathon. They look at economic damage they can inflict and political damage.

And so I think coming up on the heels of this video, now with of 9/11 just a couple of days away -- or a couple of weeks, I think we have to be on a high state of alert.

BLITZER: Yes. The Boston Marathon not necessarily al Qaeda, but sort of Muslim fanatics, if you will, home -- maybe even homegrown, right?

MCCAUL: Well, Wolf, I think that's the other part of this threat that we're concerned about are these homegrown violent extremists, people that can get on the Web site, look at this video, somehow in a sick way get inspired by it. There is "Inspire" magazine out there to -- that shows them how to make bombs, for instance.

So we're very concerned about radicalization within the United States. ISIS has demonstrated they're very adept at social media. They can launch a campaign offensive on social media that can radicalize and inspire Americans that are already in the United States.

And so that's the other half of the equation that we're trying to guard and protect Americans against.

BLITZER: What did you -- I don't know if you've studied some of David Cameron, the British prime minister's actions, what the British are doing pre-emptively to deal with this threat.

Would -- would they be some of the more controversial ones, not allowing these British citizens, for example, to come back to Britain or to go out and arrest them even before they've done certain things, is that something that the U.S. should be considering?

MCCAUL: Well, we always have to balance, you know, privacy and security. I think that certainly the U.K. is looking at a larger threat than the United States, because of the proximity of where they are. And I think he's probably doing the responsible thing to protect his citizens.

You know, whether we need to carnage the law if you are a -- provide material aid to a foreign terrorist organization, we revoke your passport, maybe that's something that we ought to be looking at.

But let me tell you what we are doing, and that is trying to properly identify those overseas to ensure that will never allow them to travel into the United States. And I think that's a very important point to make, particularly when you look at the bombmaking capability that we've seen demonstrated out of Yemen with the Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula now aligning itself with ISIS.

So now you have this technology and manpower coming together with ISIS. We need to do everything we can to stop that from getting on airplanes, as well..

And as you know, Wolf, we have heightened the security precautions at these foreign airports that we believe are the most likely to be targeted by ISIS.

BLITZER: As you know, the U.S. launches airstrikes against terrorist targets only in the past couple of days in Somalia against Al-Shabab in Yemen, against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan and Yemen. In Iraq, we have the U.S. has been launching airstrikes.

Is it time for the U.S. to launch airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria?

MCCAUL: I believe so. I mean if this is not a wakeup call, what is?

What more evidence do we need?

And the fact that we're -- we're launching airstrikes against Al- Shabab when ISIS is clearly the more greater threat to the homeland and the United States, it seems to be, you know, that we ought to be hitting ISIS wherever they exist, including, as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Dempsey, said, in Syria..

And I think what you're seeing, Wolf, is an internal debate within the administration between the Pentagon, which came out pretty strong for action, and others in the administration who are warning to be more cautious.

I think this policy of containment needs to shift to a policy of defeating ISIS where they are, including in Syria, rather than just containing them in Iraq.

BLITZER: Do you believe the president has the authority, without additional Congressional action, to launch those airstrikes?

MCCAUL: He does under The War Powers Act. He's operating, I think, within the law. He has reported these actions to the Congress, as he should. I -- I do think that it would be a good idea to update the authorized use of military force, which was passed in 2001, to include organizations like ISIS. And I believe you would have broad-based support within the Congress to get that.

BLITZER: Do you have confidence in the administration, the secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson and others, that they are doing what needs to be done to prevent, shall we say, another 9/11?

MCCAUL: Well, you don't know what you don't know. You don't know how many of these guys have actually gotten back into the United States. That's my biggest concern.

I -- I have a lot of admiration for Jeh Johnson. I think he is a -- comes from the Defense Department and he's -- he understands that this is the greatest threat we've seen since 9/11. He -- we've had conversations about that. And they are taking corrective measures to guard against the threat.

But, you know, it only took 19 hijackers to pull off 9/11. When we have hundreds of Americans and tens of thousands of foreign fighters with legal travel documents, you do the math. It is -- it increases the probability of an event to occur not only in Western Europe, but in the United States. And that's what I'm most concerned about.

BLITZER: Yes. And what's also concerning, and you acknowledge this, is that the U.S. should gear up and be ready for the anniversary of 9/11. That's coming up in a few days. It's obviously a very, very worrisome date for a lot of Homeland Security folks out there.

Mr. Chairman, thanks very much for joining us.

MCCAUL: Thanks, Wolf. Thanks for having me.

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