CNN "The Lead with Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Islamic State Strategy

Interview

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TAPPER: Welcome back to THE LEAD. The Politics Lead now, the airstrikes in Syria against ISIS and other targets have highlighted another terror group that may have been targeting the U.S. mainland.

The offshoot of al Qaeda known as Khorasan was mentioned for the first time today by President Obama. Some members of Congress have been briefed on the airstrikes and the threats these new splinter groups pose to the United States.

Let me bring in Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. Senator, thanks so much for joining us. You're on the intelligence committee. We've learned about a U.S. attack last night against an al Qaeda offshoot that according to the U.S. government was posing an imminent threat to the United States. We reported on that threat. How imminent was it, do you think?

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: Well, we don't know, days, weeks, hours, whatever it may be, they are a serious threat. I mean, this is a group of very knowledgeable, experienced al Qaeda fighters who are in Syria not because they were looking to overthrow Assad in Syria. They are using it as an operational space. These groups require -- need to be somewhere where there's not a government pushing them out. So whether it's the tribal areas of Pakistan or before that in Afghanistan. Now it's Syria.

Any time there's a vacuum created anywhere in the Middle East that becomes a magnet for these sorts of terrorist groups that come in and operate from. They are a very serious threat and I'm glad that's being addressed as well.

TAPPER: A few months ago, of course, we hadn't heard of ISIS, ISIL or Khorasan, for that matter. Now the U.S. is dropping bombs on them. How many more splinter groups with Syria's capability are there?

RUBIO: It's a real risk, I mean, look at Libya right now. I mean, Libya has increasingly becoming an ungoverned space. I think you see groups emerging there. You've seen al Qaeda announcing a new affiliate in the Indian Peninsula with aspirations to Southeast Asia as well.

This is going to be an ongoing issue. I mean, these groups have splintered, but in many instances they have coordinated with one another. The face of Islamic fundamentalists, radical terrorists such as these has changed from one core group to multiple affiliates and affiliated groups around the world who continue to pose a real risk.

So I don't think this is going to be the end of the line here. There are multiple other groups that are increasingly of concern as well.

TAPPER: You've said that ground troops are needed. You prefer in an ideal world to have local ground troops. Do you see any local forces up to the task and, if not, do you think U.S. ground troops are ultimately going to need to go to Iraq and Syria?

RUBIO: Well, again, I remain hopeful that we're able to find local ground troops that can do the job. I think the Kurds are very capable. They certainly need more assistance in that regard.

I think that hopefully the Iraqis can rebuild their security forces to a new government that allows them to become more capable and we hope that more moderate elements will emerge in Syria not simply to defeat ISIL.

But if we wipe out ISIL, al Nusra, who is going to fill the vacuum, who is going to take their place? Because if you don't, you're back to where you are today with an ungoverned space that will attract fighters to be responsible to themselves.

What I'm saying is that virtually every military expert that has spoken out on this has said that the chances of local forces alone being able to defeat ISIL or any group for that matter on the ground is dubious at best.

I think it's important for the president to be honest to the American people that at some point in the future this might require some element of U.S. ground power in order to finish the job. We can't be in a position of saying, if the locals can't do it, ISIL gets to stay.

TAPPER: I know you've been advocating a move that has been going on for quite some time. Not everybody in your party feels the same way. I know it's early, but there are polls that show Senator Rand Paul to be a potential standard bearer for your party in the 2016 election.

He's up in New Hampshire. He voted against the resolution last week. He says he does not support arming the Syrian rebels. You have a very different position than him. Does it bother you that he might become the standard bearer for your party in 2016?

RUBIO: This is a national security issue. I don't -- I understand political reporters and I don't mean you, I mean, in general covering this have to apply some sort of political lens to it.

But what we're talking about here is a very serious national security issue that we need to confront. It's not a trivial matter. It's not one that we should be analyzing from the point of view of what it means for the polls or elections per se.

This is about securing our country and allies as well. I'm going to be for what I believe is right, not just today but long term. And then there will be politics in the future and they may work out or may not in the short term.

But I want to be on the right side of these issues from a perspective, ten years from now and five years from now, not just five hours from now or five weeks from now.

TAPPER: Republican Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, thank you so much. Appreciate your time.

RUBIO: Thanks.

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