CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Ro Khanna

Interview

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In the meantime, we're following other Breaking News this time out of Afghanistan.

We just learned two -- not one, but two ISIS-K members were killed in that U.S. drone strike. The Pentagon says the threat though from the terror group is far from over. You're looking at some brand new video we just got, exclusive video obtained by CNN taken after the drone strike and showing the damage left behind. Pretty significant video.

Let's bring in Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna. He's a key member of the House Armed Services Committee. Congressman, thank you so much for joining us. The Pentagon says this U.S. drone strike killed two ISIS- K, what they call planners and facilitators and wounded one other ice- k -- ISIS-K member up.

How far do you think this goes and degrading the threat from this terror group?

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): I applaud the president for taking firm and decisive action to take out the terrorists who killed our troops. It is a first step, we need to see what more needs to be done. But anyone who is contemplating, farming our troops, or farming this country should be very clear that Congress will overwhelmingly support this president in taking retaliatory action that is just, and I'm glad that the president has done this.

BLITZER: The Pentagon says that the threats, though at the Kabul airport remain, in their words very real, very dynamic, very active. Should the Biden administration, Congressman, speed up the withdrawal? It's supposed to be completed by Tuesday, in order to avoid further casualties. In other words, just get out of there as quickly as possible.

KHANNA: Wolf, I think this is why the president is sticking to the August 31st deadline. It takes a few days to remove our troops very safely. My understanding is that the bulk of the focus now is in -- on protecting our troops and on getting out safely. And I am confident that they will do that by August 31st with every safety protection.

But it is a dangerous mission, as the president has said. And these people who are serving our troops are really heroes. I mean, they are risking their own lives to save other Americans, to save Afghans, our entire country owes them a huge debt of gratitude.

BLITZER: And let's not forget over these past 10 days, two weeks or so, since August 14th, 117,000 people, American citizens, green card holders, Afghan, allies, third-country residents, they've been evacuated. Of that 117,000 were told, 5,400 American citizens were flown out.

Congressman, the Pentagon says some flights out of Afghanistan are now carrying military equipment. Meaning, they're packing up getting out. Have you been briefed on how much could potentially be abandoned, though, which could ultimately end up in the Taliban's hands, or in worst, terrorist hands?

KHANNA: Our understanding is that they are going to take out as much equipment as possible without putting our troops in harm's way. And that's a judgment that the president has to make.

But even after we leave, Wolf, we're still going to have, as you know, over the horizon capabilities. We're still going to have the ability to strike, and we're still going to have, as Prime Minister Johnson has said, tremendous political, economic, and diplomatic pressure on the Taliban.

So, even though our troops will be out, that doesn't mean that America's vigilance against terrorism is going to stop, nor is our effort to rescue Afghans and vulnerable people going to stop.

BLITZER: But once the U.S. pulls out of that Afghan airspace, leaves the Kabul airport, how will the U.S. help the remaining several hundred U.S. citizens and other friends of the United States, Afghans, who worked at the embassy, who helped America over these past 20 years? How will they manage to help get them out?

KHANNA: Well, it has to be a multifaceted effort. It has to be our highest priority, and the president has said any American who wants to leave will be able to leave. As you know, there are special operations that can go in there.

We can have coordination with our allies, we can put tremendous pressure on the Taliban to make sure that they're being released. And some of the folks, Wolf, are not near Kabul. So, the current mission won't be able to help them.

What we need to do is first, convince the Taliban, pressure the Taliban that they need to open the borders so that some of them may be able to go to other countries and then fly to the United States.

[12:15:08]

KHANNA: But I represent the largest Afghan American community in the country. And I'll tell you, there are people in Congress who are going to make sure that those Americans, and green -- want to get out, we'll be able to get out. That we're not going to forget them.

BLITZER: All the specific Afghans still in Afghanistan, who have connection with the Afghan Americans in your district. Have the Afghan Americans told you that their relatives, their friends, have been able to get out or still stuck behind?

KHANNA: Some are still stuck behind, Wolf, in honesty, and it is hard to get to the airport. I mean, I've heard stories of them being beaten by the Taliban, having to go two or three times, of being harassed at the checkpoints or being fearful for their lives.

So, there are people who were interpreters, were allies, were still there, and we're going to have to continue the mission to rescue them. But putting our troops there in harm's way where we just saw, we lost 13 service members, I've been reading about the family -- the incredible grief, we can't do that. We can't have more of our service members in that kind of harm's way.

We need to withdraw our troops, but continue through other means the operations of rescuing certainly all vulnerable Afghans and our Afghan allies.

BLITZER: And our deepest condolences to the families -- the loving families of those 13 U.S. service members, who were killed, as we say. And may their memories be a blessing.

Congressman Ro Khanna -- for joining us.

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