CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Syria

Interview

Republican Congressman Michael McCaul is the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and he also sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Good to see you, sir. Appreciate your taking that time.

Let me start by asking you this, Chairman McCaul. We all know how many chemical weapon Syria has and we don't know where they all and yet it is pretty clear now that the entire world including the president of the United States is hoping that the world can secure them and get rid of them. That this is how it is all going to work, is it going to work?

REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL MCCAUL (R), CHAIRMAN, HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: Well, I've always said from day one, I think the plan should be to secure and destroy these weapons. There are no good sides in this war. There are no good options quite frankly. You have a puppet of Iran using chemical weapons, rebel forces, who are they? We heard from Secretary Kerry. At least 25 percent of them are bad actors, bad guys.

The intelligence I have is 50 percent. I don't think we should be arming and supporting al Qaeda in this effort as well. With respect to the amount of stockpiles, Syria actually ranks number three behind Russia and the United States. So they're sitting on an enormous amount of chemical weapons.

And my concern, I think as the Homeland Security chairman, the biggest threat to the homeland would be these radical Islamist groups, getting hold of these chemical weapons, bringing them into the United States and using them. And I think that's what we need to first and foremost protect Americans from.

BURNETT: An interesting you said the biggest threat to the United States I have to follow up though, Chairman, on something you just said. You said John Kerry said 15 percent to 25 percent of the rebels in Syria were so-called bad guys. You're saying 50 percent is your intelligence. I mean, that's a high number. That's the first I've heard it.

MCCAUL: It is a very high number. I think it is something the American people should know. Who are we supporting in this conflict? The rebel forces again have been infiltrated and hijacked by al Qaeda. Two years ago, they were more moderate, but today it is a different game. The fact is I think we should be focused on the chemical weapons themselves, which is why I believe this latest breakthrough gives us some hope that we may be able to do something constructively to secure these weapons.

Why do I say that? I don't always trust the Russians. I'm skeptical like everybody else, but the fact is the Russians have more influence over Syria than any other country in the world. And the idea that Putin is putting this forward, you know, it is interesting. He is driving the foreign policy globally not the president.

But I do think an international force and international coalition to secure and destroy these weapons is probably the best outcome in what has been known as a no good outcome situation.

BURNETT: It sounds like what you're saying, Chairman, you know, some have criticized the president because he said strike and then he said I'm going to Congress and then he said I'm not striking and I want diplomacy and I want to secure weapons that a lot of people say cannot be secured. But it sounds like you're saying you think he has the right idea. That you're not in the camp of people who think he has hurt his credibility here by changing his mind.

MCCAUL: Not necessarily. I think he has damaged his credibility in the international community. When he went to the G20 Summit, he walked away virtually snubbed by most of the countries. I think Putin put this idea forward. Now I'll tell you why I think that's important because we do share a couple things with Russia even though they are traditional.

One is that we both think al Qaeda is the enemy and the Jihadists. Number two is I think we both have a shared interest in seeing these weapons not proliferated throughout the region. Assad and his father have sat on these chemical weapons for two decades have never threatened western interests or the Soviets, the Russians or America for that matter.

If these chemical weapons end up in the rebel forces' hands, the ones that have been radicalized, the ones that are more, the Jihadist types, then I think we have a whole different equation to look at that quite frankly concerns me.

BURNETT: You're saying as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, speaking on September 11th, speaking after we've had now home grown terror in the form of the Boston marathon bombers. That you think that chemical weapons being used in this country is the biggest threat we face.

MCCAUL: Well, as we look at Syria, I have to look at the homeland to protect Americans from these radical forces. Remember, sarin is basically a powder. It can be brought into the country very easily undetectable. That's my concern is that gets brought into the United States and it could wipe out cities, Washington, New York. I want to make sure that does not happen. So that's my greatest concern when it comes to Syria. I think this international coalition of forces is probably the best hope we have to securing and destroying those weapons.

BURNETT: All right, Chairman McCaul, thank you very much for taking the time tonight.

Source