CNN "The Situation Room" Transcript: Syrian Conflict

Interview

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BLITZER: Yes, clearly, the president is frustrated with both Russia and Turkey right now. Jim Acosta in Paris for us, thanks very much.

Joining us now, Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii. She's a member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committee as well as an Iraq War veteran. Congresswoman, thanks for joining us.

The news the joint chiefs chairman, General Dunford, saying the U.S. is not limited by the 3,500 ground troops it already has in Iraq, including the 50 who are going into Syria, maybe another 200 going into Syria, as well. Does this sound like mission creep to you?

REP. TULSI GABBARD (D), HAWAII: Well, Wolf, the first thing I think it's important to make clear is, I have long said that the United States should not be in a nation-building mission.

If we're talking about small deployments of Special Forces, troops who are going out there directly to defeat our enemy, defeat ISIS and work with local ground forces to be able to accomplish that mission, then that's something that makes sense.

That's very different than a large deployment of 10,000 or 100,000 regular U.S. ground troops or an occupying force, as we've seen in Iraq. If that were the case, that would be counterproductive to us achieving our mission of defeating ISIS. It would play directly into their rhetoric of saying this is a war between Islam and the west, and that's something that would not be good for anyone.

BLITZER: You served in Iraq. You fought there. Has the U.S. learned lessons from that experience, looking forward?

GABBARD: I wish the answer was yes, Wolf, but the answer's no, and this is my greatest concern.

And the reason for this is because, after Iraq, the United States went ahead and did the very same thing in Libya, overthrowing Gadhafi. Now ISIS is growing in strength, has a stronghold in Libya today, with plans to continue to expand.

And what's even crazier is that now the United States policy is looking to do the very same thing once again in Syria, with this focus and determination on overthrowing the Syrian government to Assad, which will only serve to make ISIS stronger in Syria, taking over that territory in Syria, providing a greater threat to the region and to the world.

BLITZER: The president, you just heard in our report, says he doesn't expect Putin to make a 180-degree turn when it comes to the future of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

You disagree with the president when it comes to the future of President Assad. You believe it's a mistake for the U.S. to focus in on his rule, his regime, right now. Explain to our viewers why.

GABBARD: Well, again, I think this is a very simple question of looking at exactly what's happened in the recent past.

When we saw the United States overthrow Saddam Hussein in Iraq, what was the result and the outcome? The outcome was groups like ISIS and al Qaeda growing stronger, taking over more territory. The very same thing occurred in Libya, when the United States went in and overthrew Gadhafi.

Now we have ISIS with a headquarters there in Libya and continuing to look to expand. The very same thing will happen in Syria if the United States is successful in its focus and in its objective of overthrowing the Syrian government of Assad. ISIS will walk in the front door, take over Syria and pose that very direct and greater threat to the region and increase the humanitarian crisis there ten- fold.

BLITZER: You just visited -- you were just in Paris, seeing what was going on over there following the terror attacks. We heard a very disturbing assessment from Michael Flynn, the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, saying that what happened in Paris, he could easily foresee that happening here in the United States, as well. You agree with him?

GABBARD: When I was there in Paris, it was heart-wrenching to see the impacts of this ISIS attack there. And it's the reason why we need to take very seriously. Our priority, our focus, our mission must be to dedicate our resources in executing a strong and decisive strategy to defeat ISIS, rather than what began as a distraction in overthrowing the Syrian government of Assad.

But something that has now put us in a far more dangerous position, putting us directly at odds, putting the United States at odds with Russia, creating the great potential for a head-to-head conflict, a world war and a nuclear conflict with U.S. and Russia.

BLITZER: Today the president, at his news conference in Paris, he strongly urged the NATO ally, Turkey, to do a better job sealing its border. I want to play a little clip of what the president said. Listen to this, Congresswoman.

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BLITZER: Very blunt comments from the president about a NATO ally, saying nearly 100 kilometers, they have one of the largest militaries in the world, the military of Turkey.

But he says they're not controlling almost 100 kilometers of their border with Syria. Terrorists are going back and forward, and ISIS -- or ISIL, as he calls it -- is shipping oil illegally through that border for sale to Europe, if you will, to make money to fund ISIS terror operations. When you hear that from the president, what goes through your mind?

GABBARD: Well, it's been no secret of the fact that Turkey has not been standing with the United States. standing with us in this fight against ISIS to defeat and destroy ISIS.

Their first priority has been to squash the Kurds, to get rid of the Kurds who, by the way, have been our most effective fighting ground force, defeating ISIS in both northern -- in both Iraq as well as in Syria.

Their second priority is getting rid of the Syrian government of Assad and doing everything that they can to send arms and equipment and weapons and ammunition to those who are working towards that end, including Islamic extremist groups like al Qaeda, like al Nusra; therefore, strengthening ISIS, strengthening our enemy.

And the open borders that they have with Syria, the direct and indirect assistance they've been providing to ISIS and these other Islamic extremist groups just prove the point that Turkey is not standing with us. They have done less in the fight against ISIS than they have done for ISIS in helping strengthen ISIS.

BLITZER: Pretty strong words from the president today when he suggests that Turkey is basically cooperating with ISIS in the sale of that illegal oil in order to make money to fund further terror operations.

Congresswoman, we have much more to talk about. Stay with us. I know you're up on Capitol Hill. Much more with Tulsi Gabbard right after this.

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BLITZER: We're following the breaking news in the war on ISIS with our guest, Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who's on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committee. She's also an Iraq War veteran.

Congresswoman, there's a chilling new warning. I mentioned it to you earlier about the possibility of a Paris-style terror attack right here in the United States. I want to play the clip. This is the man who just stepped down as the head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. Listen to what he told CNN's Jake Tapper.

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BLITZER: So here's the question: is the U.S. prepared? Does the U.S. have adequate intelligence, because you're well-briefed on these issues?

GABBARD: Wolf, this is something that continues to be an ongoing concern. You know, Lieutenant General Flynn was the guy who called out this threat from ISIS long before many people were listening. And I think he's very much in tune with the possibility of this type of attack or this kind of threat facing the American people.

I want to mention one thing that is deeply earn concerning to me happening now at the Turkey/Syria border. We have a U.S. F-15 planes patrolling the border between the two countries, at the same time that Russia has put in place a very sophisticated anti-aircraft missile defense system.

This is deeply concerning to me because this, again, puts the United States and Russia at a head-to-head conflict with possibility, whether it's intentional or even an accident, that one side will shoot down the other side's plane, kicking off what is a much larger, potentially, world war and nuclear war between the United States and Russia.

And the thing is, with this, we've got to ask ourselves, what will the cost of this be? Devastation to the American people, to the world, and what -- for what? What's the benefit? Why are we trying to do this in Syria? Why are we trying to go to war with Russia over this disagreement of overthrowing the Syrian government of Assad? It's crazy.

BLITZER: And you don't think it legal. The president, you believe, requires congressional authorization to do what the U.S. is doing in Syria against Assad, right?

GABBARD: That's exactly right. To go to war, to overthrow another country's government, this is something that Congress must authorize.

But this is something that's been ongoing from the United States here now for a few years, with this arming and equipping, this CIA program, to provide weapons and ammunition and support to these groups, some of them Islamic extremist groups to overthrow the Syrian government of Assad.

BLITZER: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, thanks for joining us.

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