Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) Was Interviewed About the Ramifications of President Trump's Decision to Take Out Qasem Soleimani and Also Congress' Action on the Articles of Impeachment; Iran Warns U.S. for a Harsh Retaliation; Iran Vows Revenge for Qassem Soleimani's Killing
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.</s>VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: This is CNN Tonight. I'm Victor Blackwell sitting in for Don Lemon. And we have major developments at this hour as tensions heat up between the United States and Iran over the killing of top general Qasem Soleimani. The reports of deadly air strike near Baghdad targeted a convoy of paramilitary forces that is backed by Iran. Now CNN has not confirmed reports and there's been no claim of responsibility so far. But we know that President Trump is defending his decision ordering the Pentagon to take out the top Iranian commander. His telling supporters in Miami tonight that Soleimani was plotting to kill Americans.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: He was planning a very major attack and we got him.</s>BLACKWELL: We're covering every aspect of this story from Iraq to here at home. Jomana Karadsheh is in Baghdad. Nic Robertson is in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh, and Boris Sanchez is with the president in Florida. Jomana, we're going to start with you about these new air strikes on the Iranian-backed forces in Iraq. What can you tell us, is anyone claiming responsibility? Any confirmation?</s>JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, so far, we have very little information. We don't have independent verification of this alleged air strike. What we do know is that the Popular Mobilization units that umbrella group that is made up of the Iranian- backed Shia militias, they put out a statement saying that one of their convoys was targeted in an air strike north of Baghdad early hours Saturday just after a few hours ago. They say that none of their senior leadership, no top leaders were in that convoy, that it was a medical unit and there are a number of casualties, dead and wounded. Now there's no indication, no confirmation at this point that the U.S. military was involved in this air strike. Certainly, the Popular Mobilization units haven't even pointed the finger at the United States right now. But the situation is so tense. Everyone is on edge. There is this anticipation of further escalation here in Iraq, Victor.</s>BLACKWELL: Boris, to you in south Florida, what are you learning about the time line of how all this came together?</s>BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Victor. So, we've heard from sources about exactly what took place over the last few days this plan to attack Soleimani really solidifying on Tuesday the president holding a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with top advisers with military brass, as well as with a number of friendly lawmakers on hand as well. Apparently, there was a very frank debate and the president heard some opposing views. He got some push back specifically about what retaliation from Iran might entail and further what his strategy more broadly speaking is in the Middle East. We're told by people close to the president that he was adamant even when confronted with the harsh realities of what a war with Iran would look like. The president wanted this to happen. He felt that it really was a message that had to be sent to Iran about their escalations. The president today saying as much to reporters, effectively saying that it should have been done a long time ago and that he's not trying to start a war but rather prevent one. Victor?</s>BLACKWELL: Nic, to you, the secretary general of Hezbollah he came out tonight and condemn the killing of Soleimani and he said that there would be consequences. I wonder if the framework of what will be Iran's response is the wrong one if instead this will be a peppering of attacks. And what does it mean for the U.S. in the region?</s>NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think it goes beyond the region as well. If we go back, Victor, and look at what happened after the U.S. -- after the USS Vincennes back in 1988 in the Persian Gulf accidently shot down an Iranian passenger aircraft. More than 200 people were killed on board from that. The follow-on response from that included the Iranians waiting nine months and trying to kill the captain of the USS Vincennes when he back home in the United States. The pipe bomb that went off under his wife's minivan didn't harm her. But it shows that the Iranians will in a situation like this try to reach beyond the region as well in some sort of attack. You know, soft targets, generals at home, for example, that sort of thing. That's what they have a track record of doing. Undoubtedly, their proxies like Hezbollah will take it into their hands to try to attack U.S. interests and U.S. targets in the region and in proximity to them. So, a peppering of attacks in the region is quite possible. But there will be Iran we can believe will try to have a strategic goal here. And for them they will likely believe that they're better off with a Democrat in the White House than a Republican which would indicate that they would try to undermine President Trump. That their actions would try to reveal President Trump's decision to kill Soleimani to be the wrong decision.</s>BLACKWELL: None of this happens in a vacuum. Jomana, the secretary of state today referenced Iraqis dancing in the street. I wonder if that -- and we saw the video, if that is representative of the larger reaction across at least Baghdad or the country to the announcement of the death of General Soleimani.</s>KARADSHEH: No, Victor, I don't think it's very reflective of the reaction here. That seems to have been a spontaneous sort of celebration. A very small one. Limited to one area in Baghdad it seems. We certainly haven't seen people celebrating on the streets here. There are some who are definitely happy to see Qasem Soleimani gone. But overall, the feeling here people are terrified, Victor. They are really concerned about where this is all headed. What happens next. They are very concerned about their country's future. There's so much anger that the fact Iraqis once again being turned into an arena for international and regional powers to be settling scores here. There's mounting pressure on the Iraqi political leadership to act here. The government that has been seen as so weak especially in recent months. They are under pressure to stand up to the United States. They're caught between two allies, between Iran and the U.S. And so many people here especially when it comes to these powerful Iranian-backed Shia militias they want to see this government standing up to the United States and also, they want them to reassess Iraq's relationship with the</s>U.S. BLACKWELL: Yes.</s>KARADSHEH: They want them to also reassess the presence of U.S. forces here. Something that we might be seeing discussed in the Iraqi parliament on Sunday during that extraordinary session they'll be holding, Victor.</s>BLACKWELL: And Boris, what is the president saying -- I mean, of course, we'll hear from the Iraqis on Sunday as Jomana said. But what is the president saying about the next steps and the possible retaliation that the U.S. is expecting in the region.</s>SANCHEZ: Well, it's quite interesting, Victor. Today during that session with reporters, the president seemed a little bit subdued. We're hearing from sources that he is well aware of the gravity of the situation of the wide number of options that Iran has in terms of response to this strike. The president uncertain about how they may respond. Though he did make something clear, the president saying that the U.S. military is prepared for anything that their readiness is all-time high. The president saying, he is ready and prepared to take whatever action is necessary to protect Americans. Obviously, this is something that he pushed for, as I noted before despite some opposition. So, he is ready for a conflict if it amounts to that, Victor.</s>BLACKWELL: But we know, Nic, that the president according to his national security adviser, is willing to talk. Willing to have conversations with Rouhani, President Rouhani without preconditions. Is that plausible? Do you think the Iranians are in any mood to have a conversation with President Trump now?</s>ROBERTSON: Yes. That idea that President Trump could get into conversation with senior Iranian leadership, President Rouhani, it really sort of, got some momentum back in the end of the summer at the G7 summit in Biarritz in France. There was a sense that was the UNGA in New York that there could be communication, direct communication if not face-to-face between President Trump and President Rouhani. You know, Biarritz, Paris was the last time -- Biarritz and of course, UNGA year was the last time there really was this opportunity where you had Iranian leadership in close proximity to President Trump where you could perhaps engineer a meeting or that close communication after the UNGA in September last year. There hasn't really been a natural venue for that to occur. So put that to one side, the killing of Qasem Soleimani, it seems in that light it's so unlikely that the Iranians would get anywhere close to discussing anything with President Trump, in particular because Rouhani turned down a meeting at the UNGA with President Trump based on the fact that the president hadn't given in to Iranian demands to take all sanctions off Iran or take a number of sanctions off of Iran. At the moment we don't realistically seem to be in a framework where we're going -- it's going to result in talks any time soon. I think Iran is going to want to get revenge and be seen to taking revenge for Soleimani's death before there could even be thoughts about a conversation. It seems such a remote idea at the moment.</s>BLACKWELL: All right. Nic, Jomana, Boris, thank you, all. Now let's bring in Congressman Gregory Meeks, he is a New York Democrat on House foreign affairs. Congressman, thanks for being with us tonight.</s>REP. GREGORY MEEKS (D-NY): Good to be with you, Victor.</s>BLACKWELL: President Trump today said that he took out Soleimani to prevent a war not to start one. What do you say?</s>MEEKS: Well, then he said he's got to send 2,000 or 3,000 troops there. Then we've got to have people all over the world just about that trying to wait to see what the next move is. By doing the strike that he did does not end the military that Iran has had and their actions there. They simply replace someone there. But now the American people are not as safe. American assets and individuals where both civilian and military are not safe. And if you just listen to the words of the members of the administration that's clear. Because they're looking for it and know there could be and will be some kind of retaliation. And they're trying to prepare for it and seems to me escalating the scenario. So, to say that we are safer now when we didn't have to send the troops in and do everything just seems to be ridiculous on part of this president.</s>BLACKWELL: We've heard from the president and members of the administration that there was an imminent planning of an attack. That something that was in the near future. Chairman of the joint chief of staff, General Milley says that there was clear evidence -- and I wrote it down here -- of planning a significant campaign of violence against the U.S. Do you have any reason to doubt him?</s>MEEKS: Well, I've got reason to doubt the entire Trump administration.</s>BLACKWELL: Let me ask you specifically about the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.</s>MEEKS: Well, I would have -- yes, I have reason to doubt. I would like to know and see for myself. You know, I was in Congress when I was told that there was mass, weapons of mass destruction in Iran. And we had individuals that came before our committee. I had to then go and went to the Pentagon to get other information and talk to individuals. So, I would like to see and like to talk, as a member of Congress, that is my responsibility. That's why the president of the United States had information should have come to Congress. At the least with the big eight. It seems to me that this president what he did was he made sure that there was no one else in the room as far as the big eight and members of Congress from the House, particularly who happen to be Democrat. So, what are you hiding is what I want to know. Because this is the most serious part of my job. When we put and risk the life and limb of our young men and women that's in the United States military.</s>BLACKWELL: Let me ask you about the justification for not coming to the gang of eight. House and Senate leadership and then the leaders of the foreign affairs and relations committees in the House and Senate. Lawyers from the White House, from Department of Justice, and Department of Defense according to a senior official say that they didn't need to come to Congress to get clearance because this was an imminent attack. And as Soleimani has been identified as a terrorist under article two powers that he doesn't need to come to the gang of eight. You say to that justification what?</s>MEEKS: Well, if there was an imminent attack, still it requires him to meet with Congress or the leadership in Congress within 48 hours.</s>BLACKWELL: Yes.</s>MEEKS: That has not occurred yet. S even if it was, he should have called in all of the big eight and the leadership both the Senate and the House within 48 hours. There's no getting around that. And so, it seems to me and I want to get to Washington. He could have called us back into session or call us back to say we want to have a classified session.</s>BLACKWELL: Yes.</s>MEEKS: To give us and inform us what the evidence was.</s>BLACKWELL: But if you say there's no -- there's no getting around it, are you questioning the legality of it? Do you believe that the strike was illegal?</s>MEEKS: Well, possibly. And that's why I've got to get the information. It seems to me that that's important because it can make a determination as to whether there was an assassination or whether or not it was some legitimacy. And we were not engaged in military war with Iran previously. So, if we're going to do this kind of attack that is in fact engaging in essence saying that we could be going to war. That's what I hear the president saying. Then I see that there is a responsibility on his part to come to get an authorization of the utilization of military force.</s>BLACKWELL: What's your degree of confidence that this administration has put this killing of Soleimani in a larger strategy to deal with Iran and with the region at large.</s>MEEKS: I have not seen any strategy on behalf of the president. That's what bothers me. You know, I'm from New York, he's always just shooting off at the mouth. It is this president who says that he knows more than the military. He knows more than our intelligence agencies and more than the generals. That he can do this all by himself. That's why I would like to know who was in the room and who was opposed to it. And I would like to question and talk to the general that just made a statement so that I can make sure that I know how and what this president may or may not have done. It is, you know, we already know that this president he flip-flops all over the place. The Washington Post has already documented that he's lied over 10,000 times.</s>BLACKWELL: Fifteen thousand four hundred thirteen.</s>MEEKS: So how can I just have a level of comfort? I need to be -- there's got to be corroborating evidence just coming from some place. And you know, even when you see the whole piece of hiding information and not being forthwith even with reference to impeachment.</s>BLACKWELL: Yes.</s>MEEKS: Now I'm going to take his word on this? No.</s>BLACKWELL: Let me ask you about the overlap here. The Washington Post is reporting that there's some House Democrats who are bit skittish now about sending over the articles of impeachment considering what's now on the table with Iran. Are you one of them?</s>MEEKS: No. I think that what we want to do is to still find out what with McConnell what the procedures will be and so that -- and have witnesses that come in that has to testify. Same as what happened with the Clinton impeachment process.</s>BLACKWELL: Right.</s>MEEKS: Just as Senator Schumer talked about. So, no. We're not going to have a wag the dog here. Because I hope, I truly hope that this is not part of trying to change the dialogue about impeachment.</s>BLACKWELL: All right.</s>MEEKS: And we're not going to give that up.</s>BLACKWELL: Congressman Gregory Meeks, thanks so much for being with us.</s>MEEKS: OK.</s>BLACKWELL: Iran's ambassador to the U.N. is calling the killing of General Qasem Soleimani an act of war and tells CNN that there will be revenge. Hear more from his interview from Erin Burnett, next.