MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes. He’s the highest Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. Good morning to you.
REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT): Good morning, Margaret.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: I do know you have been not too long ago briefed relating to these arrests in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New York City and the eight Tajik nationals with suspected hyperlinks to ISIS-Ok. Do the place we’re in regard to understanding whether or not they have been a cell working collectively, whether or not there have been direct hyperlinks?
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REP. HIMES: Yeah, so regulation enforcement, as you would possibly count on, is making fairly good progress figuring out who these folks have been speaking to, what the plans have been, different folks concerned within the community, whether or not an assault was imminent, whether or not there have been particular plans for an assault. And- and this is not new, proper. In different phrases, , as , shortly after these people entered the United States, not stopped as a result of there was no derogatory info on them on the time, in a short time, some derogatory info was developed. And the choice was taken to look at these guys. Now, the explanation you watch these guys, as an alternative of immediately arresting them, is that their habits and their communications can actually paint a really particular image of a plot of a conspiracy if there’s one. Obviously, they took the choice at one level that the chance/reward there was such that they made these arrests. But in fact, they proceed to work to know whether or not there have been plans, and if that’s the case, who else might need been concerned.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So it appears like intelligence remains to be being gleaned from these eight people. So how can we are saying there isn’t any lively menace?
REP. HIMES: Well, Margaret, we are able to by no means say there isn’t any lively menace. You know, there’s at all times a baseline menace of a terrorist act within the United States, there’s completely nothing we are able to do to vary that reality. So you’ll be able to by no means say that there’s zero threat. What you are able to do is, you’ll be able to take a look at the time frame since 9/11, the tragic assault on 9/11, and say, what number of Americans have really died in a terrorist assault engineered by foreigners? And the reply to that query is- is vanishingly small. Our individuals are very, superb, however you’ll be able to by no means have zero threat of a terrorist assault.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Would you assist a public listening to with the intelligence chiefs to put out the information as we all know them? I do know Director Wray stated, we’re on the highest doable stage of menace proper now.
REP. HIMES: Yeah, and Margaret, look, I feel it is actually necessary for folks to maintain this in context. That could also be true. And it is most likely true, as a result of the world is a extra difficult place than it was 10 yea- years in the past, particularly, with the conflict in Israel and Gaza. We see each radical Islamic group from the Houthis to all of the Iranian backed proxies considering doing issues that they may not have needed to do 10 years in the past. So Director Wray could also be proper. And the truth is, , I feel our- our intelligence companies and regulation enforcement are on alert in a approach they have not been in a really very long time. And look, the Tajik story is successful story. They have been arrested. They didn’t conduct a terrorist assault.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Your Republican colleague, Mike Turner, was on this program a couple of weeks in the past, and he stated, quote, “We have terrorists which are actively working contained in the United States which are a menace to Americans.” Is that an correct characterization? And- and if that’s the case, why not?
REP. HIMES: Well, I the- the Tajik case is, so far as I do know, the one case that we’ve got been briefed on on the Intelligence Committee of our intelligence neighborhood, our regulation enforcement neighborhood, following people who we expect might be concerned in a plot. I’m definitely not conscious of different conditions like that. Now, it’s virtually definitely true, in a rustic of 350 million folks, that there are some folks on the market who’re fascinated by endeavor acts of violence. We see a variety of violence on this nation, most of it’s home, most of it is- isn’t associated to transnational terrorism. But once more, you requested earlier a couple of public listening to across the information here–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Yeah.
REP. HIMES: And I did not reply it straight, so I’ll reply it straight proper now: we’re most likely not at that stage. Because what we began speaking about, which is absolutely the necessity of regulation enforcement, actually understanding the total contours of that Tajik group and doing the work that they should do, which is finest achieved in secret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: In phrases of what is taking place, and the connection to the southern border, President Biden stated on the debate on Thursday, quote, “I’m not saying no terrorist ever bought by.” So he appears to be acknowledging this unknown factor right here. Do you assume the intelligence neighborhood has the sources they want proper now to cope with the menace and the vulnerability on the border?
REP. HIMES: Of course, a border wherein individuals are coming into and we do not know who they’re is a threat, no query about it. And I want that we had seized the chance of the bipartisan invoice negotiated by Jim Lankford and Chris Murphy, a conservative Republican and a progressive Democrat to truly do one thing about that. But Donald Trump stated, No, he stated do not do it. I need to run on this challenge. So I’d have liked to have seen that get achieved. But once more, , folks have to put this into context. How many Americans have died in a terrorist assault by anyone who snuck throughout the southern border? The reply to that query is zero. So, useful resource allocation – ought to the FBI, ought to the CIA be laser centered on the southern border? I do not know. Clearly, it’s a threat and a vulnerability. But , a variety of these plots we choose up due to our assortment capacity overseas.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you assume the sources are enough to intelligence assortment overseas?
REP. HIMES: Well, I feel in the event you had the top of the FBI or any of the individuals who have been concerned on this effort, they’d say we might actually use extra sources, proper. But one of many challenges we’ve got that we have not talked about Margaret, is do not forget that for a decade, now, greater than a decade, we have been speaking concerning the pivot to China. Right, China, invading Taiwan is an final result that’s catastrophic in 10 totally different dimensions. If we’re severe about pivoting to Asia, if we’re severe about supporting the Ukrainian combat in opposition to Russia, inevitably, as a result of we do not have infinite sources, some issues like counterterrorism should not going to get the total quantity of sources that you desire to.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Before I allow you to go, how do you assume America’s international adversaries considered President Biden’s efficiency on Thursday night time?
REP. HIMES: I think that, , just about all people watched that debate, and thought that the President didn’t carry out the best way we’d have preferred to have seen him carry out. However, I’ve hung out round three totally different presidents Margaret, and I’ll let you know that the President’s job is enormously exhausting and includes every kind of issues, none of that are standing and doing a debate for 90 minutes on TV. The President’s job includes passing laws, I’d hope that individuals would evaluate this President’s file in that regard with the final President’s file. He–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –being fast in your ft is type of necessary for the job.
REP. HIMES: –Part of the president’s job is setting the tone. Well, yeah, yeah. And once more, I feel he is acknowledged- the vp acknowledged that- that was not the efficiency we have been searching for. But I’m not so cynical as to consider that the American individuals are going to decide on a president primarily based on a 90 minute debate fairly than a 4 yr file of startling legislative achievements and of setting a tone that the remainder of the world says “wow, , America is again to the respectable chief that we used to consider that it was previous to the Trump administration.”
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Himes thanks on your time this morning. We’ll be again in a second.
