MSNBC "The Rachel Maddow Show" - Transcript: Islamic State Strategy

Interview

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MADDOW: All right. Let`s bring in Congressman Adam Smith of Washington. He`s the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.Congressman Smith, thank you very much for staying up to the wee hours to talk with us tonight. I really appreciate it.

REP. ADAM SMITH (D), WASHINGTON (via telephone): Thanks for the chance, Rachel.

MADDOW: So, first, let me just get your overall reaction to this news tonight that the U.S. has begun bombing ISIS targets in Syria. I know you said you supported the president`s efforts to arm and train rebel forces in Syria. Do you support these air strikes as well?

SMITH: Well, I think the biggest thing about this is the coalition that has been brought together, to have Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and Jordan, Qatar and UAE as part of this is absolutely critical. If this is a U.S. -- dominated U.S. alone effort, it won`t be successful. I think that`s an important step.

The next most important step is we have to get the Sunnis in Iraq and then some in Syria hopefully with the training mission as part of it to join in this fight. We still have a long way to go in that regard. Getting the Sunnis on the ground to be willing to oppose ISIS. I mean, the airstrikes the coalition has put together is a good first step. But there`s a long way to go to have the local support necessary to be successful here.

MADDOW: After the amount of time the United States spent in Iraq, in particular trying to build an inclusive and effective Iraqi army, working on Iraqi security forces at every level, trying to do things like build Iraq an air force and all the other things we did and all the tens of billions if not hundreds of billions of dollars that the U.S. spent trying to built capacity in Iraq, is there anything left undone that we haven`t already tried in terms of trying to get Iraqi toss do something that we see in their interest that they plainly don`t see that way? I mean, what else could the U.S. do in Iraq to change Sunni tribesmen`s minds about what their own interests are?

SMITH: I think that`s an excellent point and good cause for skepticism.

Look, if you didn`t have a threat like ISIS popping up here that`s so clearly a threat to the region. I mean, it`s a threat not just in Syria and Iraq but to Jordan, the surrounding countries. They wish to export terrorist attacks. You can make a strong argument there`s really nothing much we can do.

But ISIS is the changing factor. And the only hope we can have is that that threat, the vision in Iraq of is rolling through Mosul down into Tikrit, out to the outskirts of Baghdad will force them to reconsider. Really, it`s just one issue. They have to be inclusive instead of sectarian. That is what Maliki utterly failed to do. He continued to drive out the Sunnis, drive them away.

And we`ll see if Abadi does any better. The initial signs are not necessarily positive, the Sunnis are still saying that promises are not being kept, there`s not being enough to include them in the government. That has to happen.

The hope is that the very real terror threat of ISIS, you know, right outside of Baghdad will hopefully focus their minds on the fact they just can`t afford to be a corrupt sectarian government and survive. But it`s no guarantee, that`s for sure.

MADDOW: Congressman Adam Smith, one last question for you. Do you expect that Congress may return to Washington to try to vote on whether or not these strikes should continue to vote on authorizing this use of force?

The U.S. military and the president just ordered the start of a new significant U.S. air war in the Middle East. Congress has not weighed in at all on this. And Congress, in fact, isn`t due to be back in Washington for another two months.

Do you expect Congress may come back to address this matter?

SMITH: I think the pressure is building to do that. I`ve been working specifically with Minority Whip Steny Hoyer about ways to pull together a working group. Congress should speak on this issue.

This is, without question, war. This is something that Congress should authorize. The president has his Article II authority and can make his argument but, you know, Congress is always complaining that the president is overtaking our power. Well, here`s an opportunity.

So, absolutely, Congress should pass an AUMF. The problem, of course, that the politics, very, very difficult in getting that done for a wide variety of reasons. But no question we should act. I think the pressure is building to overcome those political policy objections and actually do what the Congress ought to do.

MADDOW: Congressman Adam Smith, ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, thank you for your time tonight, sir. I really appreciate it.

SMITH: Thank you.

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