CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Olympic Games Security

Interview

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BURNETT: And joining me now is Congressman Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. Chairman, thank you for coming on the show, potential toothpaste tube bombs, how much do you know about this?

REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL MCCAUL (R), CHAIRMAN, HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: I've been briefed on this actually today, but the terror threat has been around for several days. I find it to be very specific and incredible. At 2:00 today, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin to airlines, particularly flights going out of Europe into Russia warning about this potential threat where explosives can be put in toothpaste containers and cosmetics on board either to detonate on the airline itself or to possibly smuggle into the Olympic village.

So this is a serious threat. I know that Homeland Security officials are taking a lot of precautions in terms of tightening up screening at the airports to ensure that these explosives, if they're on airplanes, they'll be able to stop them.

BURNETT: I know there's only so much you can talk about in terms of specifics, but have you also been briefed on other threats that are as specific as the toothpaste and cosmetic possible bomb threats?

MCCAUL: There are threats. The Emirate caucuses, the more extreme faction of the Chechnyian rebels that have trained in Syria, for instance, there is a concern that with that kind of training and trade craft that they can travel from Syria into the Sochi area. That is of grave concern. So is the aviation sector, I think is another area of concern that we believe the explosives. They may be trying to get these explosives on airlines.

BURNETT: In terms of 57 percent of Americans seem to think a terrorist attack is likely at the Olympics, but what about when we hear of threats of toothpaste bombs, you know, Americans still are going through with all this liquid issue domestically, I mean, are you also hearing or concerned in any way that this can have a domestic angle?

MCCAUL: Well, I think the threat from Syria is a Homeland Security angle to it. That's one of our greatest concerns. I know the secretary of homeland security feels that way as well. With respect to the three ounce, I don't think you're going to see that in the United States, but I know these flights that are emanating out of Russia, you'll probably see a tightening up of those screening procedures with any liquid gels, cosmetics and toothpaste.

BURNETT: Are you confident that you have all the intelligence that you need? It always seems like now you find out about toothpaste. Maybe that was a specific credible threat. Once you find out about it, maybe you're likely to thwart it, but there could be something else, right. The horse leaves that barn and we're looking in the wrong place.

MCCAUL: Well, I think that's exactly right. You don't know what you don't know. These black widows they talk about. We don't know how many there are. Any slain Chechnyian rebel can have a black widow associated with him. We know that two black widows have been arrested and taken into custody in France, for instance. We know that six individuals were taken into custody in Austria and were released so this is not some hypothetical thing. It's a real threat to I think the Olympics.

BURNETT: Thanks very much to you, Chairman McCaul.

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