CNN "Wolf" - Transcript: Middle East
Interview
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BLITZER: The Americans who were killed were trainers at the facility. The shooter was killed by Jordanian security forces. We'll have much more on this story coming up.
But joining us now from Greenville, South Carolina, is Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham. He's the senator from South Carolina. He's a member of Senate Armed Services Committee.
Senator, thanks for joining us. What can you tell us about this very disturbing shooting, the killing of these two Americans, and a South African as well?
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I've been to the facility, I'm pretty sure, with the vice president. I think I've been there twice. It's a place where we and the international community train regional police forces.
But it's very disturbing. Here's what I guess I could say. ISIL's on the march. If they took this Egyptian airliner down, that's ominous because they have reached far outside of Syria and Iraq. A pretty complicated endeavor. I worry about the refugees coming into Jordan and a radicalization of Jordanian population putting the king of Jordan at risk if the war in Syria continues. So those are the big takeaways, Jordan's at risk from the civil war in Syria, Iran's on the march, ISIL is growing in strength. This is all not good.
BLITZER: As you know, the president's been meeting with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over at the White House. Both of them putting a positive note despite their serious disagreement over that Iran nuclear deal. What needs to be done to really fix and strengthen this U.S.-Israel relationship?
GRAHAM: Well, I don't mind helping Israel with more military aid, but there's no way to protect Israel, the region and us unless you tear this deal up with Iran and start over. I think it's fatally flawed. Under this agreement, within 15 years, Iran gets a nuclear capability. Whether they cheat or not, they get $100 billion of new money. ICBM in eight years. So the bottom line is, I don't know how you keep the region intact unless you take this deal and change it dramatically. Until the ayatollah changes his ways, I wouldn't give him a dollar or a bullet.
BLITZER: What -- what can you tell us about the apparent bombing of that Russian airliner at Sharm el Sheikh, when it took off from Sharm el Sheikh in Sinai, 23 minutes into the flight, it was -- it was bombed by all indications right now. GRAHAM: Right.
BLITZER: How far are you willing to go in concluding, a, that it was, in fact, a bomb that had been placed on that plane killing 224 people, and, b, that it was either ISIS or an ISIS affiliate?
[13:29:50] GRAHAM: Well, it does matter. One, if it was a bomb, obviously some terrorist group planted the bomb somehow. But if it's ISIS in collaboration with a Sinai terrorist organization, that shows the ability to plan a sophisticated attack, to communicate outside of Syria and Iraq with another terrorist organization. It -- they have pledge allegiance to ISIL.
[13:30:00] SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R), SOUTH CAROLINA & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- that is showing the ability to plan a sophisticated attack, and to communicate outside of Syria and Iraq with another terrorist organization. They have pledged allegiance to ISIL, and if that is true, and the scenario where ISIL can work with another terrorist group to bring down a jet airliner, it shows they have capability more than any of us have been talking about.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: You have been spending a lot of time focusing on the national security issues --
GRAHAM: Yeah.
BLITZER: -- especially ISIS, but it is not resonating so far in the national polls --
GRAHAM: That is right.
BLITZER: -- and including the local polls, and including a new poll in your home state of South Carolina. And why is that?
GRAHAM: You know, I really think that national polling captures the moment and I'm not that well known. And at the end of the day, John McCain endorsed me today in New Hampshire. And he has a TV ad and two radio ads, talking about I will be the first person to be commander- in-chief and to deal with ISIL. I hope that will break through over time. South Carolina, I will only do well if I do well outside of South Carolina, and I have to be seen as a viable candidate outside of my state. And I just won a six-way primary last years, and I know that I will do well if I take New Hampshire.
But one thing, going into this area with Russia to destroy ISIL is dangerous. What Russia wants is to keep Assad in power, and if you do that, you are giving Damascus to the Iranians, and that will not be acceptable to the region. So I suggest to the Obama administration, do not join forces with Russia to fight ISIL if the price is to keep Assad in power. That hurts us more than help us.
BLITZER: This new Monmouth University polls has you back in August at 4 percent in South Carolina, but now down to 1 percent in your home state. That must be frustrating.
GRAHAM: Well, it is frustrating in the sense that I can't get on the stage. Maybe in the December 15th CNN debate, we will have a different way of doing this. But we've never done this before. I got knocked off of the undercard debate based on a poll where my name is not on it. And I can promise you that if you don't put my name in the poll, I will not do well.
But I know South Carolina. I've got to show my ability outside of New Hampshire. And the message for me is national security. I believe that you have to have boots on ground to destroy ISIL in Iraq and Syria. I've been saying for two years on your show -- and you've been very good to have me on -- that we cannot win the war against ISIL without a ground component. You need Turkey and the Arabs coming together with us, and you need 90 percent them and 10 percent us. 5,000 to 10,000 of Americans are going to have to be part of a regional force to go on the ground to destroy ISIL in Syria, or they will never be destroyed, and they will hit us here at home. I hope that other people in the Republican Party side will understand that Obama's strategy is not working. You won't win the war from the air. And 50 Special Forces is not going the cut it. We need regional army and we'll have to be part of that army, with a no-fly zone inside of Syria. And if you don't do those things, we are going to be hit here at home.
BLITZER: And we will find out in the coming weeks whether that message --
GRAHAM: Yeah, we will.
BLITZER: -- resonates with the Republican voters nationally, and with these early states.
Thank you, Senator, for joining us.
GRAHAM: OK, thank you.
BLITZER: Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
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