Interview with Rep. Peter King
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to bring in Congressman Peter King, Republican from New York. He's a member of the House Homeland Security Committee and the former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. He's also chairman of the House Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. Congressman, do you have any new information indicating these two suspects are part of some broader threat to the United States? We've been told by a U.S. official, Barbara was told, that there is no indication necessarily this is part of any larger threat from al Qaeda. Have you learned anything that contradicts that? Have you learned anything new?</s>REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: Jake, so far, there is no indication of that. I know there is a concern about it because there is a question whether these two on their own could have done all that's been done. But the fact is, right now, there is no evidence at all. I know there is some concern about the fact that his older brother took the trip to Russia last year and there is a question whether maybe that's when they were radicalized. To be honest with you in all the years I've been doing homeland security briefings I've never heard of the Chechen community in the United States having been radicalized. The question was on radicalization, it does not involve the Chechen community here. I know they fought alongside al Qaeda in Afghanistan, but not here in this country. Again, I think we do have to look carefully to make sure there are no other conspirators or accomplices and find out what happened on the trip to Russia last year.</s>JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Congressman, do you have any information about possible travel outside the country by Dzhokhar? We know about his older brother traveling to Russia in 2012. Do you know anything about any other travel by the older brother or any travel outside the country by the man that authorities are looking for so intensely right now?</s>KING: Jake, I'm not aware of any of that travel and I don't know of anyone who is on to that. I know that is one thing we looked at carefully. My understanding is as of now there is no evidence that the younger brother has traveled outside the country at all.</s>TAPPER: Obviously events are unfolding and not everything on the internet is necessarily accurate but on the older brother's purported YouTube account, we don't know if we're 100 percent sure that it is his, but on what is believed to be his YouTube account he posted a preaching by a radical named Fez Mohamed I believe was his name. What do you know about this radical cleric?</s>KING: I'm not aware of that radical cleric, but I do know that the idea of radical clerics in the Muslim community, again, a small percentage, but they have had a disproportionate influence and that has to be looked at. We can't be politically correct. We have to see if radicalization has extended into the Chechen community. Obviously, something happened to these two and it is something that has to be really examined and examined fully. Also I think we have to realize that, you know, earlier in the week there was talk, there was no intel, no chatter, no evidence or indication that this attack was going to come. And I guess because we rely on foreign intel. The fact is I think it is very typical for al Qaeda to carry out attacks from overseas. We have to be very concerned about radical movements in this country, in this community, in this country that carry out the attacks as we saw in New York in 2009 and 2010 by people living in the community. That's why I think it is important for the police to build up their intelligence to find out what's happening in the communities among disaffected people or people like these two brothers who seemed to have everything going for them.</s>TAPPER: Lastly, Congressman King, I am told you compared what happened here in Boston to what happened in Mumbai. Please explain. I assume I'm correct with, but if not then correct me.</s>KING: I was saying that I -- my speculation is I don't think these two ever intended to escape. I think they had so many explosives. They had explosives for the marathon and with them today. You don't have the second round of explosives unless you are going to carry out a second wave of attacks. When they went out today I don't think it was to escape. They had so much explosives in their vehicle with them. They had heavy duty weapons. I think they were going to go down fighting, just go and again almost random use of explosives. This was not just a one off as far as attacking the marathoners as bad as that was. They had apparently quite a few other explosives with them, which to me could only be used for the second round of attacks.</s>TAPPER: All right, Congressman Peter King of New York, Republican, former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, thank you for your time. Coming up, police are still going door to door in Watertown. More on the manhunt for the Boston bombing subject that's coming up next.