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CNN Live At Daybreak

Lieberman Discusses Ongoing Military Action

Aired October 11, 2001 - 08:26   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We travel to Washington, where Senator Joseph Lieberman joins us for reaction to the ongoing anthrax threat in Florida, and the ongoing military action.

Welcome; good to have you with us this morning.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: Good morning, Paula; good to be with you.

ZAHN: Say to you, I have a lot of territory to cover here. I'd like to first start off with some information that's being reported on Saudi Arabia as we talk about the coalition that's being built.

According to "The New York Times," Saudi Arabia has so far refused to freeze the assets of Osama bin Laden and his associates. What's your reaction to that?

LIEBERMAN: I'm very disappointed in that news. I think we all understand that there are tensions within the Arab world and the Muslim world. But I think we couldn't have been clearer about this; that this is not a war against Arabs or Muslims, this is a war against the small group of fanatics.

And we, therefore, as President Bush said very clearly in his address to Congress on September 20, we have to ask countries of the world to decide whether they're for us or against us. The Saudis have been good allies of ours. We've given them a lot of support over the years, military and otherwise.

And it's very disappointing at this moment of crisis that they will not at least freeze the assets, the money flow, to the bin Laden, al Qaeda terrorists who killed 6,000 Americans.

So I think we've got to put the pressure on. And make no bones about this: We are painfully and angrily disappointed with those of our allies who don't stand by us at this time of need.

ZAHN: As we at CNN are now reporting that Saudi Arabia is trying to distance themself from this campaign; and Saudi Arabian officials have asked -- actually asked Prime Minister Tony Blair to cancel his trip to that country later this week. What is the significance of that?

LIEBERMAN: Well, I hadn't heard that story; I'm sorry to hear it. I was encouraged in the last couple of days with statements that were made by the Saudis and the Egyptians supporting the commencement of military action against the Taliban and bin Laden.

But I think it's important for the Saudis and everyone else to listen carefully to bin Laden's words and the Taliban's words, and to note that they are not only attacking every other religion -- they have not only declared a holy war on every other religion, but they have declared a war on others of Islam -- others who are believers of Islam who do not share their fanatical view.

And, in fact, over the years the No. 1 target, the first target of bin Laden, has been the Saudi regime, to change that regime.

So, you know, there are times when I'm reminded of that famous quote from pastor Niemoller in Nazi Germany where he said, first they came for the Jews and we said, I'm not -- that's not us; and then they came for the Gypsies, I'm not us (sic). So then in the end, we were all that's left and they came for us and there was nobody to help us.

I think we've got to be clear about what the enemy here is. And it takes courage, I agree, I understand that in Saudi Arabia. But we're their allies, we're their friends. They're going to be supported by the majority of people in the Muslim world, and the Arab world will back them up.

And I think they have to now take a stand, not only against fanaticism but, in fact, in favor of the continuation of their own regime.

ZAHN: Senator, I just wanted to share some breaking news with our audience in the middle of this conversation. The daylight bombing has resumed in Kabul; and you'll continue to share the screen with some of the pictures we have coming out of northern Afghanistan right now.

Do you expect that Saudi Arabia and Egypt will be a part of the coalition a year from now?

LIEBERMAN: I sure do, and I certainly hope so. I mean, I think -- we are in -- on the anniversary, the 30 -- the one-month anniversary of the attacks against the United States. It's really a time to renew our commitment and remind ourselves why we're doing this.

We've never been attacked like this, and on American soil by a foreign power in our history. We lost 6,000 people of our own; and we're just never going to forget those attacks. And that propels us forward to essentially destroy our enemy before they destroy more of us.

And I think the Saudis and the Egyptians understand, I hope, that they are also targets of this fanatical group. The Egyptians certainly have suffered from people like this in the past. Sadat, their president, was killed by a group that is led by an individual who is now bin Laden's No. 1 deputy. So, yes, I predict with confidence that the Saudis and the Egyptians will be part of this coalition a year from now. They absolutely have to be; not just for us, but for themselves.

ZAHN: Let's move on to the fierce debate going on in Washington right now about what congressional leaders can expect -- be expected to be briefed on from the president, and in terms of highly-classified information.

First of all, what do you think should happen to your colleague that leaked this confidential information, this secret information to a member of the press?

LIEBERMAN: Well, there actually are provisions in the code of ethics that guides the Senate that prohibit leaks. I can't quote it exactly, but if there's a reason to believe that a particular member of the Senate or the House violated the code of ethics, then they ought to be brought before the Ethics Committee and treated appropriately under the rules of the Senate. This is serious business.

My own feeling about this, Paula, is that we have one commander in chief, and we have the military. And we've given them -- we've authorized them to use force to respond to the attacks against us, of September 11. I don't think that 535 members of Congress ought to try to put themselves in the Oval Office every day, or in the office of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as we carry out this military counterattack against terrorism. I think that's unwieldy and not appropriate.

On the other hand...

ZAHN: Yes, Senator; what I wanted to ask you, though, what about the American people in all this? I mean, that one report was very specific in "The Washington Post," that there's a 100 percent chance if the United States attacks Afghanistan that there will be more terror attacks here. Are they entitled to know that?

LIEBERMAN: Sure, look -- the truth is that in that case Attorney General Ashcroft had been saying pretty much the same thing, as I recall it, two or three days before that story came out.

I mean, I think there's a point of balance here. We don't need to know everything the military's going to do in advance of everything they're going to do. That doesn't make sense. Let them do it, and they'll be accountable for it.

On the other hand, Congress is the representative of the American people. We have an oversight role. And over time, I think we have a right to be briefed about what has happened and how it's going so that at a minimum we can know that the administration and the military are staying within the parameters, within the rules that we set out in our authorizing resolution. And that we can, in that sense, represent the American people. It's a balance that I think we can strike.

In a way, what's happened earlier this week with the president's outburst was a tempest in a teapot, but it was a tempest that probably had a good effect, and not only put all of us on notice in Congress that we have an obligation when we get classified briefings not to go -- not to share them, not to leak them.

But also, I think it may have reminded the administration why Congress, as the representatives of the American people, do have a right to some of this information. We've been assured -- I'm a member of the Armed Services Committee -- that our classified briefings will continue undiminished and unabated. And that's necessary for us to continue to do what we do in authorizing the military and funding them to do what we need them to do.

ZAHN: All right, we're going to have to leave it there this morning. Senator Lieberman, again, thank you for your time.

LIEBERMAN: Good to be with you, Paula.

ZAHN: Appreciate it.

LIEBERMAN: Take care.

ZAHN: You too as well.

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