The following is a transcript of an interview with Rep. Mike Turner, Republican of Ohio, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Dec. 8, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Ohio, Congressman Mike Turner. Just a shocking flip of occasions inside such a brief time period. The US does not have a diplomatic presence within Syria. Our visibility is slightly restricted right here. What is it that you simply suppose Americans have to learn about this flip of occasions?
REP. MIKE TURNER: Margaret, that was a wonderful report, since you actually laid the groundwork of this has been an extremely brutal civil conflict with tons of of hundreds of individuals dying, together with using chemical weapons. And in fact, reminding those that the Obama administration had mentioned this might be a pink line, that we might use navy drive to cease using chemical weapons, then failing to take action. This is an Islamic militia that has risen up and has continued and now could be efficiently toppling the Assad regime. As your report indicated, it is al Qaeda in its origins, however it opposes ISIS. It is Turkish-backed. This is a blow to Iran, a blow to Russia. We’re seeing what is probably going a disintegration in Syria. The large questions might be, what does this imply for the US? What does it imply for Iran, Russia, the neighbors of Israel and Jordan, that are robust allies of the United States?
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you talked about there, and we confirmed the image of Abu Muhammad al-Golani. He is the chief of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, individuals name HTS. You’re going to listen to rather a lot about that within the coming days and weeks, the insurgent group that seems to be taking management. But they’re working additionally with the Prime Minister. The United States authorities has a ten million bounty on the pinnacle of Jolani. Do you suppose the United States nonetheless ought to maintain that? Should Americans be involved that this may imply one thing when it comes to influence for terror threats to the United States?
REP. TURNER: This is a terrorist group and group, however this isn’t going to be only a passing of energy and authority. It may very well be. We’ll should, clearly, watch that. You know, one of many issues that we do see right here, although, is this can be a diplomatic failure with respect to the United States and Turkey. You know, the U.S. has troops in Syria. This is on the border of Turkey. Turkey is a NATO ally. The United States is working with the Kurds. This actually may have been a chance for the United States to work to attempt to resolve the difficulty between the Kurds, Turkey and the United States and dealing with Turkish pursuits in Syria. Hopefully this may very well be a chance the place there may very well be a diplomatic assist there that hopefully may have- assist on this transition in Syria.
MARGARET BRENNAN: There are 900 US troops in Syria within the South. Donald Trump in 2019 pulled US troops out of northern Syria, abandoning our allies there. Do you consider he’ll stand by the 900 US troops that stay there? Or ought to he think about pulling them out when he takes workplace?
REP. TURNER: Well I feel, you realize, one of many issues that Donald Trump will clarify is, is that any any menace to us, troops might be unbelievably responded to. So everybody ought to perceive, completely, the United States troops are to be safe. The second factor is, is he does completely assist the Kurds and that he will search for a diplomatic answer. I feel there might be an evaluation as as to if or not these troops ought to stay. But it is, you realize, I feel right here there is a chance for the events, particularly now that Iran and Russia’s roles are going to be domin- diminished. They have been brutal of their assist with Assad, the tons of of hundreds of individuals, together with use of chemical weapons which were killed, have been underneath the Russian affect there. Russia nonetheless has two bases, a naval and air drive base there which can be going to be, you realize, each in danger for Russia, but in addition a threat to the inhabitants of Syria as a result of they could- they’ve been used earlier than to assault the Syrian inhabitants. We’ll should see what Russia does there. But that is going to be an space that is going to be extremely risky and in transition.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And no concept the place Bashar Al Assad may need fled to?
REP. TURNER: No, not at the moment.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I wish to ask you, since we’re speaking concerning the incoming administration, Donald Trump has chosen Tulsi Gabbard, the previous Congresswoman, a former Democrat, now Republican, to be the Director of National Intelligence, overseeing 18 intelligence businesses. She not solely went and met with Assad, she publicly doubted excessive confidence assessments by U.S. intelligence that he did what we confirmed you footage of him doing, utilizing chemical weapons there. Do you belief that she may truly symbolize the intelligence neighborhood, lead it and be trusted to transient the Commander in Chief?
REP. TURNER: Well, I clearly differ in an incredible deal in a variety of areas with each her judgment and and her background and expertise, however what I do belief is the–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –You’re smiling while you’re saying this–
REP. TURNER: The Senate is the Senate course of, and I feel this- the senators are going to place her by way of a course of. She has been nominated. She will undergo the method, and I feel there might be vital debate and analysis. I feel–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –You do not suppose she’ll be confirmed?–
REP. TURNER: –that Donald Trump has put collectively in his final time period, and I feel he’ll on this time period, an incredible nationwide safety crew. I feel CIA director, Radcliffe, I feel Mike Waltz as National Security Director, are each nice examples of people who find themselves going to be foundational. I feel you are going to see an incredible nationwide safety crew.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, this can be a neighborhood that you simply even have oversight of, so chances are you’ll not vote within the Senate, however it seems like she does not have your confidence. What about Pete Hegseth to run the Pentagon at a time of worldwide instability?
REP. TURNER: Yeah, I feel the Chairman of the Armed Services within the Senate made an incredible assertion. He mentioned, we actually assist the method, and he has his assist going by way of the method, and we’ll should see how that goes by way of. One factor that’s completely clear is that the Pentagon wants reformed. We are usually not conserving tempo with what Russia and China are doing in superior weapon methods. At the identical time, we’re seeing the weapon methods of superior expertise which can be being utilized on the battlefield of Ukraine, and our acquisition methods and our accounting methods, our spending methods are usually not working on the Pentagon–
MARGARET BRENNAN: -That requires expertise–
REP TURNER: –We want reform. We want reform. Someone has to have the ability to lead that, and that is going to be the talk within the Senate.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I like once I ask Congresspeople, they usually simply maintain reminding me that they do not sit within the Senate and do not wish to remark. I sense some some uncertainty there in your half, however I do not wish to put phrases in your mouth. I wish to ask you although about what’s ticking down in Congress proper now, and that’s one thing there is a scramble on the finish of this 12 months to get a bunch of labor achieved. Your Democratic colleague within the Senate, Mark Warner, mentioned “it’s an pressing precedence to handle cybersecurity gaps in these ultimate weeks.” Is it a precedence so that you can do one thing due to this large breach by China, of U.S. Telecom?
REP. TURNER: You know, one factor that’s- it is very disappointing, and we have seen from this administration, this this malaise of this stasis of the place they’re unable to maneuver on account of the president unable to decide. Here we now have this large breach, this hack that has occurred from China, however we’re listening to nothing from the president himself, no motion from this administration as to what their- what penalties that might be. This is not- does not want only a technological repair. This wants additionally a diplomatic repair, a nation to nation, penalties to China–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –What would penalties appear to be?
REP. TURNER: Now within the Obama administration, within the Obama administration, China hacked the personnel administration system of the US authorities, and there have been no penalties, and now we’re seeing China hack your complete system of the nation. There must be penalties. They will be financial. They will be in a variety of methods. But proper now we now have zero, we now have nothing popping out of the administration. What have to be speaking about isn’t technologically how will we repair this? But how will we tackle, which is what Donald Trump is doing, is coming in and saying China is our most, gravest menace. How will we tackle the truth that China is aggressively attacking the United States, they usually’re doing that in our telecom?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Question for the incoming administration to choose that up. Thank you, Chair Turner. “Face the Nation” might be again in a minute. Stay with us.
