MSNBC "Interview With Senator John Barrasso" - Transcript
Interview
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MS. O'DONNELL: Let's bring in Republican Senator John Barrasso, who joins us now. He, of course, serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Senator, good to see you. Thanks so much for joining us.
SEN. BARRASSO: It's good to be with you. Thank you.
MS. O'DONNELL: Senator, before, of course, he was elected four months ago, the prime minister, Netanyahu, called the stalled peace talks a "waste of time" because he said the Palestinians were not yet ready to rule themselves. What do you make of today's meeting? Do you think President Obama will be able to convince Prime Minister Netanyahu to endorse a two-state solution?
SEN. BARRASSO: Well, I think on Netanyahu's mind is going to be the whole issue of Iran. I met with Bibi Netanyahu in Israel in his office two days after he took office, just a couple of weeks ago. And what he said to me is "Senator, what are you going to do about it? What are you" -- meaning the United States -- "going to do about Iran?" That is number one on his mind because of the nuclear capabilities. Clearly on our mind is also what is he going to do about working with relationships, as you talk about, the two-state solution? But I expect they're going to have a good discussion.
MS. O'DONNELL: Senator, no doubt that that's Netanyahu's first priority, is Iran. I think Obama's also still concerned about tackling the Middle East peace. What's your view on that?
SEN. BARRASSO: My view is that you need to solve the whole puzzle together. You know, in Israel, the concerns are clearly, number one, Iran; number two, then you move up to Syria; you move to Hezbollah; and then Hamas is number four on the list of their priorities.
But until we can find a solution -- I visited with the secretary of State about that. It's trying to put the whole thing together. But I am expecting Netanyahu to also reach out to the president to try to find something working together. But Israel's future --
MS. O'DONNELL: Let me -- Senator --
SEN. BARRASSO: -- is the key to this because it is really the center of democracy in that Middle East.
MS. O'DONNELL: Senator, let me read you from something Jeffrey Goldberg writes in The New York Times. He writes, quote, "Netanyahu says he supports Obama's plan to engage the Iranians. He also supports the tightening of sanctions on the regime if engagement doesn't work. But there should be little doubt that by the end of this year, if no progress is made, Netanyahu will seriously consider attacking Iran."
There were reports that the CIA director, Leon Panetta, was on a secret mission to Israel just several weeks ago to meet with Bibi Netanyahu, once again insisting that Israel inform the U.S. if it has any such intentions. Are you concerned that Israel seems bent on a military strike on Iran?
SEN. BARRASSO: I think the military strike is the least of the options out there in terms of what'd be successful. I am much more in favor of diplomacy. If you try to do a military strike, Norah, what you have to do is be able to penetrate their intelligence to find out where the weapons are in Iran. You have to be able to penetrate also the rockets that would be set up as anti-missile. And then the third thing, you have to penetrate the bunkers. And I believe that where Iran has placed their nuclear capabilities is at a places which are deep within the earth, very significant cement bunkers. So I think it would be a significant challenge, even if the decision is to move ahead military to even accomplish the goal.
And what could do they do? Set back Iran for a couple of years at the most? So I think there are better alternatives. And, to me, democracy -- I'm sorry, diplomacy is the best way to go, not a military strike.
MS. O'DONNELL: Senator, I understand that on Friday you toured Guantanamo Bay Detention Center.
SEN. BARRASSO: Yes.
MS. O'DONNELL: And I know your biggest concern is where these detainees are going to be moved. I understand you've got a plan. You're supporting legislation to prevent the closure until we know where these detainees may wind up. I know that the House, the Democrats on the House side, pulled the money for the closing of Gitmo for this very same reason. Is there a sense there in the Senate that nobody wants to close Gitmo until the administration answers clearly where the detainees will end up?
SEN. BARRASSO: Well, you're absolutely right. You know, they have an $80 million line in the supplemental budget, and I do not want to see that money spent that way. I was at Guantanamo Bay on Friday. Four U.S. senators went to look at the facility. It is safe. It is secure. No one has ever escaped from there.
What those detainees are receiving now in terms of food, in terms of medical care, it is astonishing. Six thousand calories a day. They have USA Today. They have al Jazeera television. They have libraries, teachers, sudoku puzzles. They pray five times a day. In every room that you go into, there's an arrow on the floor pointing to Mecca. There are soccer fields. I was -- I was amazed at how much these detainees receive.
There is also a state-of-the-art courtroom to go ahead with the trials, and this was built specifically for that. It is to me the perfect place for these 240 remaining detainees. So I'm against closing that facility, and certainly I'm against moving any of those detainees onto United States soil.
MS. O'DONNELL: Senator Barrasso, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
SEN. BARRASSO: Thanks.
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