CNN "The Situation Room"- Transcript: Nuclear Weapons

Interview

SEN. ANGUS KING (I), MAINE: About two hours ago.

KEILAR: About two hours ago.

Tell us how you came to that decision.

KING: Well, first, this is literally the hardest decision I have ever had to make. And I think it's one of the most important, probably the most important vote any of us will take.

So, I took it really seriously. And the way I approached it was in two paths. One was to dig into the agreement itself. The first thing I did was read the whole agreement, make dozens of notes in the margin, and then chase down my questions. Then the second piece was to talk to outside people, not necessarily

the administration, but outside experts on arms control, inspections, nuclear -- nuclear inspections and all those kinds of issues, and then finally to talk about alternatives. It's really easy to take an agreement like this or any other agreement and say, oh, it is terrible, it's got this hole and that hole.

The real question, though, is, compared to what? What are the alternatives? And that's what led me finally to my conclusion to support it, because there are really only two alternatives. One is, we walk away and the opponents basically say, OK, we will walk away, we will increase sanctions, and then the Iranians will come back to the table, we will get a better deal.

The problem with that is that our partners in the sanctions have already agreed to the deal. And they have indicated -- we met yesterday with all the ambassadors of the P5-plus-one countries. And they basically said, we're not going to necessarily stick with these sanctions. We could up with the worst of all worlds, Iran unfettered by the restraint of the agreement and weaker sanctions.

I don't know how that is going to get us where we want to get.

KEILAR: You are confident that inspections will be where they need to be in order to verify that Iran is not moving towards weaponization?

(CROSSTALK)

KING: There's a really important point about inspections that I haven't heard mentioned very much.

Everybody talks about the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA. But on top of that, we have the intelligence services of half- a-dozen countries who are going to be watching Iran all the time. It is really a two-tiered inspection system. And I can't reveal the contents, but part of our review was a classified review of the agreement by our intelligence community, the whole -- all 17 agencies. And I can tell you that that conclusion was reassuring to me.

KEILAR: As you listened to the president's comments today, I wonder in particular what you thought about one thing he said, especially as someone who is an independent.

He said that those chanting death to America -- he's talking about hard-line Iranians -- have found common cause with members of the Republican Caucus. Is that smart when you are trying how to -- or is he just -- is that just a sign that he has completely given up on Republicans, so he can take that shot?

[18:15:05]

KING: I wouldn't have taken that shot. I don't think that aids the cause. In fact, I think there are Republicans that are really thinking hard about this agreement.

I was talking to one this afternoon. And it doesn't -- I don't think it helps. You know, I think we have got to reach across partisan lines here to solve any of these problems. But I have to say, from his point of view, there were people on that side of the aisle who came out dead against this agreement within an hour of its announcement. They hadn't read it. They didn't have the background on it.

And that's pretty frustrating. As I said, if those guys were in a jury pool, they would have been disqualified for prejudice from voting on the case.

KEILAR: Indeed, some are rejectionist of the concept of a deal, and there's also some Democrats who are still waiting and they're on the fence trying to decide what they're going to do.

KING: And that's where I have been for the last month. But I finally decided I feel like it is in the national interest to do this agreement.

KEILAR: All right, stay with us. I have many more questions for you, including about the recent AQAP bomb-maker, one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world.

We will be talking more with Senator Angus King after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:21:05]

KEILAR: We're following a dramatic move by a master al Qaeda bomb- maker.

Ibrahim al-Asiri is one of the world's most wanted terrorists. He's believed to have made a rare public statement in a letter urging supporters to launch attacks inside of the U.S.

We're back now with independent Senator Angus King of Maine. He's a member of the Intelligence and Armed Services Committee.

Senator, have you been briefed on this letter? And can you tell us, are you pretty confident, are officials, government officials pretty confident that this is indeed Asiri?

KING: Well, I can't confirm that.

But I think there is reason to believe that. And I have got to say, he may be the most dangerous person in the world. And he is somebody that we have been after for years. And he is the guy that is working on building bombs that can't be detected. And it goes to the continuous threat that we are under.

I don't want to be a fearmonger and frighten people, but there are out people out there that want to do us harm.

KEILAR: He is. He is on the cutting edge of technology, experts attest to this, trying to find undetectable bombs that can go through -- really to get on a plane is certainly his goal. Is there a concern seeing him come out and give this message, even

acknowledging that there is some risk in it, because couriers have to be used in order to deliver a message like this? Remember, we know bin Laden was found tracing through a...

KING: I wished he had used his iPhone. We could have traced it.

KEILAR: Yes. Bin Laden was traced through a courier.

KING: Yes.

KEILAR: Seeing him take that risk, does it make you think or are you led to believe that there could be an attack on the way?

KING: Well, I think these people are determined.

And there has been a debate recently in the intelligence community as to who is worse, ISIS or AQAP, al Qaeda? My answer to that is yes.

KEILAR: Both, right?

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KING: They're both. And they're dangerous in different ways.

This guy, he is an al Qaeda guy. And their orientation is toward plots like September 11, sending people bombs on airplanes, airplanes into buildings, that kind of thing. ISIS is dangerous in a different way. They don't necessarily hatch plots. They send out what amounts to a terrorist APB that says, go and kill some Americans, like the

KEILAR: Smaller scale, but unpredictable.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: Smaller scale, but very unpredictable, hard to disrupt, hard to know that they're going to happen, because there may not be a plan.

It's just, somebody out there, go to a recruiting center and shoot some Marines. That's almost impossible for us to cope with, except by local law enforcement.

KEILAR: So you think al-Asiri may be the most dangerous man alive. What priority is there on getting him? And how has he evaded U.S. intelligence, U.S. attempts to attack terrorists overseas?

It seems like there have been questions about whether he was alive and then it turns out he appears to be. How much of a priority is it to get him?

KING: It is like -- it's one of the highest priorities of the United States government.

He is, as I say, I think one of the most dangerous people in the world. And this letter simply underlines the fact that he wants to do us harm.

KEILAR: Senator Angus King, really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us today. Thanks so much.

KING: Glad to be with you.

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