CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: ISIS Hostages, Defending Ukraine, Netanyahu Speech to Congress

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BLITZER: Yes, they've got lots and lots of international issues out there they're trying to deal with.

Jim Acosta, thanks very much.

Let's talk about some of them.

Joining us, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California.

Congressman, thanks very much for joining us.

I want to get back to Ukraine in a moment.

But let's go first -- let's get through the latest ISIS threat, specifically, this chilling new video that ISIS released today of the British hostage, John Cantlie, who says in this video -- this is in his words, we assume he's forced to say so -- "the last video in this series, the last video in this series."

What does that mean, Congressman?

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA: Well, I'm not sure what it means. Hopefully, that doesn't mean that it's the last appearance that we're going to see of him, because I think as long as he has utility for these terrorists, they'll keep him alive. And plainly, he's doing whatever is necessary to stay alive.

We're doing everything we can to try to identify where he is, as well as any other hostages and what might be done to help them. But obviously, this is very difficult. Our intelligence resources are limited Syria. And it's a very grave situation.

BLITZER: And certainly, the fear is that they're about to kill John Cantlie, right?

SCHIFF: Well, that is certainly a fear, I think, with all of their hostages. And we really can't tell what to read into that phrase that he uttered, whether this is the last of this series and he's going to make an additional series, or whether they contemplate this is the last time we're going to see him.

Obviously, we hope that he stays alive. But the record of ISIS hostages is a very discouraging one.

BLITZER: What about Kayla Mueller, the 26-year-old American aid worker that ISIS said was killed in a Jordanian airstrike the other day?

There's no evidence to back up that ISIS assertion.

What is the current assessment?

Do officials believe she's still alive?

SCHIFF: I think the reality is we don't know, Wolf. Obviously, we're trying to find out and hope and pray that she is. But I don't think anyone gives credibility to the ISIS claims that she was killed in a Jordanian airstrike. That's all too convenient a propaganda message. So that's, I think, very plainly not the case.

The question, though, is, is she still alive or was she killed earlier by ISIS and this is just the way they want to roll out that gruesome fact?

We're trying to find out. We don't know the answer. And we're going to make every effort to find the answer, and if she is alive, obviously, do everything we can to help in rescue.

BLITZER: All right, Congressman, I want you to stand by.

We have more to discuss, including a development that -- a very disturbing development that ISIS may be moving beyond what they're -- what is called the aspirational desire to go after targets right here in the United States to a more specific plan. Much more with Congressman Adam Schiff right after this.

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BLITZER: Back with the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California.

Congressman, I spoke with Senator Jim Risch. He's a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He said flatly -- he said he has reason to believe, reason to believe that ISIS is moving beyond what he calls the aspirational level into specific more planning and maybe even plots. That was the impression I got, here in the United States, that there may have been an aspirational desire at one point, but now it's becoming more worrisome. What, if anything, can you tell us about that?

SCHIFF: Well, I think that's a very legitimate concern. In the beginning, I think ISIS was so preoccupied with trying to establish its caliphate, it had little time to focus on directing attacks outward at the west.

But those days are probably behind us, and we have seen, in Paris with Coulibaly, how very little inspiration and very little material assistance, if any, was necessary for that terrorist to carry out an attack, a lethal attack in the name of ISIS.

We've had many thousands of foreign fighters enter the fight from Europe. We have had many, many hundreds return. Some of those undoubtedly who were discouraged by what they saw and just wanted to get away from the fight, others who are returning with the idea of attacking the west in Europe or the United States.

So I think that is a very real concern and something that we're doing everything possible to guard against.

BLITZER: That represents a major new threat. Another threat -- Paul Cruickshank, our terrorism analyst, told us about this one -- is that ISIS is now seeking to capture more American and European hostages, even if they are in neighboring countries like Jordan or Lebanon, for example, and then bring them back to Syria or Iraq to hold them hostage. What if anything could you tell us about this?

SCHIFF: I think that's also a very realistic concern and Americans need to be very careful anywhere in the region, anywhere in the proximity of Syria or Iraq.

Some of the hostages were close to the border in Turkey. They may have been within the border area when they were abducted. So I think that journalism has now become very dangerous in many places in the globe but especially in this region.

But all American citizens are a great value to these terrorist organizations for their propaganda purposes, for purposes of ransom, and we have to do everything possible not to give them that opportunity.

BLITZER: We're told the president will now ask Congress for new authority to use military force against ISIS on Wednesday. You've worked on this, I think, since last September. It's taken a long time, but I assume you welcome this move by the president.

SCHIFF: Absolutely. We've seen some real deep engagement now by the White House with Congress. I think something is forthcoming in the next 24 to 48 hours, and that's very positive. It will definitely gel the debate in Congress about what a new authorization will look like, and that authorization will move forward.

It's been frustrating, frankly, to gain traction on this. We're half a year into this war. There are going to be some key issues about whether we preclude ground forces and what the sunset date is. Most significantly, I think we need to sunset not only the new authorization but the old ones, as well. And that may be an area of contention.

BLITZER: I assume you're also frustrated the president hasn't made up his mind yet about whether to arm the Ukrainian military.

SCHIFF: Well, this is a tough decision but yes, I strongly favor arming the Ukrainian military, helping Ukraine defend itself. We're trying to reach another agreement in Minsk, but we already had a Minsk agreement with the Russians. The problem is getting them to uphold the agreements they reach.

And I think the only way of doing that is to raise the cost of their further aggression. Listen, I wish this wasn't necessary, and I wish the economic sanctions had worked; but they haven't worked. They haven't deterred Russia. We have an obligation not only to Ukraine, which gave up its nuclear weapons at our request and insistence. And we represented, along with others, that we would help protect the territorial integrity of Ukraine. So this is not only about Ukraine. It's about nonproliferation. It's also about Ukraine's neighbors and curbing Russian aggression against them.

BLITZER: One quick, quick final question that came up in the president's news conference. He seemed to be irritated that the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, is coming to Washington on March 3 to speak before Congress two weeks before the Israeli election. Is this a bad idea? Should the prime minister reschedule that visit to the United States?

SCHIFF: It was a bad idea for the speaker to extend the invitation right before the Israeli elections, but look, he did extend it. It has been accepted. I'm planning to be there to welcome the prime minister, but I think it was a serious mistake by our speaker, and I lay the responsibility on our own shoulders.

BLITZER: Was it a serious mistake for the prime minister to accept that invitation?

SCHIFF: You know, that's a decision the prime minister is going to have to make. And I'm sure that they're having deliberations in Israel about that. But that's a call that he's going to have to make.

BLITZER: But you would be happy if he postponed it?

SCHIFF: You know, again, Wolf, I'm going to be there to welcome him. I wish this hadn't happened to begin with, because it's a terrible distraction from the weighty issues of Iran's nuclear program. And I think this -- kind of this kerfuffle over this has got to be greatly well received in Iran, because to the degree that it shows any division between us and our Israeli allies or within the two parties in Congress is simply not good for the relationship. And I look forward to this coming to an end.

BLITZER: Adam Schiff is the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. Congressman, thanks for joining us.

SCHIFF: Thanks, Wolf.

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