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McCain talks terror trial, Paul filibuster, drone policy

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    GOP senator on 'Studio B'

  • Duration 9:49
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Doug Callaway in DC senator John McCain's -- this now a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

And the senate committee on homeland security and government governmental affairs he's back home in Arizona senator thank you.

Thank you -- how you feel about this trial in lower Manhattan.

Well of course I've been very entrusted in these days of sequestration how much -- security costs.

Will be but -- very importantly in the short term.

If this -- individual -- this Miranda rights which I'm very confident that he did because any good lawyers going to tell.

His client -- her client to do that then we are deprived of the ability to interrogate this person.

And -- -- -- perhaps being able to prevent attacks on the United States of America.

And I'm not talking about waterboarding I'm telling you saying there are very successful interrogation.

Techniques where we could find out vital information.

Second -- all in all due respect.

This man it is not a common criminal.

He was a member of the al-Qaeda hierarchy being that close.

To Osama bin Laden and he clearly in my view -- citizen -- enemy combatant which means he has tried by military commission.

Senator which takes is to drone -- they didn't drone and so we would have that sort of opportunity but there's a lot of -- going on these days and that the topic -- -- for the last couple days been senator Rand Paul Kentucky's.

Filibuster on Capitol Hill.

He got a response out of the White House and whether the White House or the government could kill American citizens on American soil if they're not engaged in combat.

And then of that filibuster you said this.

The country needs more senators who care about liberty.

But if mr.

Paul wants to be taken seriously.

He needs to do more than -- political stunts that fire up impressionable libertarian kids in their college dorms.

He needs to know.

What he's talking about about what is he confused senator.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Second of all.

No one is going to be.

Struck by a hellfire missile from a drone that is not an enemy combatant I mean that's just -- fact.

And by the way the reason why we use hellfire missiles overseas in places like Yemen is because we don't have the ability to capture them we want to capture these people not kill them.

We -- the -- he's -- senator -- row -- we do we not know that.

Information suggests to us that we that we had agents and that the host country had agents following them for 48 hours.

Directing where that drone which you would not have been possible to capture him and do what is.

Authorize -- -- the constitution rather than killing him as it was -- sun actually.

Actually it's one thing to follow somebody -- -- whereabouts it's something else to capture them the reason why we kill people -- -- shepherd.

Is because we don't have military on the ground did to get him -- involved.

Hanoi Jane Jane Fonda.

It no one.

No one believes that the matter how egregious your activity was.

That any present United States would would would launch a hellfire missile on Jane Fonda that is Ludacris.

So instead of it right in right now -- should senator futures are spending in Tehran.

The north Koreans have threatened to T launch nuclear.

Weapon that against us and are threatening their neighbors 70000 people have been.

-- occurred in Syria while we sit and watch and the mideast is and Tinder box.

That's what we should be discussing that's what we should be debating not the impossible scenario and by the way.

I want but more congressional oversight I want to hold strong program switched over to the Department of Defense so that we can have the kind of oversight that it needs help out busy to have debates -- In congress what what.

What about take it back to the root after the attacks of 9/11 congress gave George then President George Bush.

The authority to use drone strikes would you be willing only to entertain the idea of a -- of of congress.

Debating.

That the beginning and where that came from maybe to better define wind and with whom and where we're at war and to put more parameters on.

On that the president's ability to drone.

Frank let's just what I what I just said.

But I notice that -- very few Republicans -- -- reminded when George Bush was president.

About launching a drone strikes -- maybe that's logical.

But of course repeat we need congressional oversight I believe it should be all of this should be transferred to the department defense.

We need parameters as to the presence behavior we need more transparency.

But to somehow translate that into dropping hellfire missiles on people and people in cafes in the United States of America.

That is not what we should be discussing.

-- part of this is about technology and part of this is much bigger.

Listen to what Rand Paul said in response to two years and and Lindsey Graham is appearances on Capitol Hill.

I think it's it's a good debate I think they're on the wrong side of history both of these senators argued that America's.

Part of the battlefields of only those the -- of war apply.

With the laws of war sometimes don't involve due process and I acknowledge that.

-- soldiers -- if the enemy is shooting at our soldiers there is no due process involved that we shoot back to kill.

There are no judges and juries but America's different is America battlefield.

Well I may be.

You might think so after and at 9/11 if -- another airplane was headed towards United States capitol such as the one.

That crashed in Pennsylvania I am confident that we have the capability and should shoot that airplane down even if tragically and I mean tragically.

They're innocent Americans on board that airplane so obviously if you think that the -- crowned.

Is outside the United States of America when everything they're -- every moment of the day and night is to find ways they can attack the United States inside the United States.

I.

I -- my understanding of al-Qaeda and most people's is that they -- they'd love to attack the United States sent from within.

And and so.

I hope that we can continue this debate as we said sure but I also I'm very concerned about many other things including sequester in the damage it's doing.

Which some of my Republican friends don't seem to be -- can as concerned as they should be in my view.

-- part of this is it is about a battle for -- for the heart and soul of the party.

There is a long held Republican and conservative view on war to avoid it at all cost.

That sort of a voice has as had a difficult time the Rand Paul wing if you will has had a difficult time -- having its voice heard.

You and others -- have been interventionist let's intervene in Syria let's intervene.

In Libya let's bomb bomb bomb Bomb Bomb Iran if it is it your sense that that he made me of that.

Is it your -- new wrinkle in that what.

Apps are all I'm asking is is it your sense that Rand Paul.

May be bringing together those people in the basement who -- may be in some cases more closely with the left them with a right.

For it's it's a -- Frank Rich this morning Frank Rich.

Was -- on board with this so was Eugene Robinson.

Well well first -- let me say that senator Paul was one vote against -- resolution the United States senate.

It said that we should not allow Iran to acquire.

Nuclear weapons if you're gonna go back -- this joke I said I fan I didn't -- action jokes at us arming them about no it was a joke and you're saying that I wanted to bomb Iran and I -- course.

I kinda -- certain -- -- -- -- Ronald Reagan the party of Ronald Reagan is a party.

That believes that we should have peace through strength and that's what best way to prevent these things I'm of the party of Ronald Reagan.

I'm Ivan and there's been a debate in our party for years and years about whether we should withdraw to fortress America like are not but just say that we are interventionist.

Is -- -- Labeling and absolutely false we are -- strong America.

And we believe that's the best way to prevent war rather than a week and military which many of my colleagues now support who are the isolationist which has been goes all the way back to post World War I.

Sure what 11 thing's for sure Republicans want to win and another -- for sure they have been winning a national elections lately and another thing that's for sure is that there's a battle for the soul of the party.

And there appear to be two wings it appears that Rand Paul just made his.

His entrance onto the national stage and upon watching your quotes.

And senator Lindsey Graham's quotes the Republican strategists what Rick Wilson saw this and said senator Graham.

And asked if this was representative of the twilight of the old order of the Republican Party is the Republican Party changing.

And and -- and do you think the change is good.

After I came home from Vietnam.

Our military deteriorated to the point where the chief of staff of the army came before congress and said we had.

A hollow army we are doing that in the form of sequestration.

And along came Ronald Reagan who restored our military restored our strength won the Cold War without firing a shot.

That's the wing of the party that I'm part of and will remain part of and I believe will be the future of the Republican Party.

You can go back to post World War I prior to World War II Charles Lindbergh Henry Ford post World War II.

The -- wing of the party.

There's always been that element.

But there really winning part of our party is set the beliefs as Ronald Reagan did in peace through strength in that way is the best way to avoid conflicts.

Including what we are seeing now in the world where the American where the world believes America this week.

And withdrawing and they are making the kind of conclusions that I think will endanger America's future.

Senator John McCain -- this from Arizona -- all the best and thank you so much.

Thanks for having me on --

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