In Washington the Speaker of the House of Representatives is calling for a pause in the refugee resettlement program for Syrians and he’s requested a classified briefing for all members of Congress. New Jersey Representative Frank LoBiondo is a member of the House Armed Services committee. He spoke with NJTV News Anchor Mary Alice Williams about how the attacks in Paris have affected accepting Syrian refugees in New Jersey and around the country.
Williams: More than half the states’ governors have pledged to not let Syrian refugees into their states. Do you think the refugee vetting process need to be strengthened?
LoBiondo: Well there essentially is no vetting process right now. In addition to the House Armed Services committee, I’m also a member of the House Intelligence Committee and I chair the CIA subcommittee. I’ve been in two days of classified briefings and our first priority is to keep America safe. The reality of not having a vetting process, regardless of what anyone is saying, is real. Until the administration can show us what that process is, and guarantee us that we’re not allowing terrorists to get into this country, there needs to be a halt in the process.
Williams: What can you tell us about what you’ve learned from those classified briefings?
LoBiondo: I can tell you that the enemy, ISIS, is not contained. It’s evident by first a couple of week ago the Russian airliner that was brought down—now we know was a bomb by ISIS. That’s not being contained. That’s a new development that is very, very scary. The Paris attack was very well planned, very well coordinated, very sophisticated and very well financed. This is not an enemy that’s contained. This is not the JV. It’s a result of not having a flawed policy; it’s a result of not having a policy.
Williams: We do balance protecting refugees fleeing the violence of ISIL and the safety of our country. How do you balance that?
LoBiondo: Well the problem, the reason why we have a problem with refugees, is because years ago when Republicans and Democrats were begging the president and the administration to develop a strategy and take a position and a policy, the president refused to. Assad was allowed to gas his own people, use chemical weapons on his own people, after the president drew a red line. Assad has been allowed to use the most hideous of weapons, barrel bombs. We had an opportunity to take out Syrian war planes that were delivering these hideous weapons, but for years we refused to and we have, in essence because of our inaction and lack of policy, created this Syrian refugee problem.
Williams: So what are you proposing now? President Obama says boots on the ground would be a mistake in Syria. Are targeted air strikes the right approach?
LoBiondo: Sure, but not pin pricks the way the president has been doing this.
Williams: What should the United States’ role be then?
LoBiondo: The United States’ role should be a leader. Our enemies do not fear us, our allies do not trust us and the French are doing some serious attacks into Syria. You know where they’re getting their target list? They’re getting their target list from America. Why has America not hit on this target list of the oil fields and the training camps and the other activities that ISIS has been engaged in that we’ve known about for a very long time? This is a terrible failure on the part of the administration, and now it’s a worldwide problem and as a result there’s been a massacre in Paris.
Williams: Are you aware of any specific threat to our nation?
LoBiondo: Sure. You have an ISIS video that has said they’re targeting America and Washington. I mean, I can’t get into anything anymore classified than that, but you’ve got an open source video that specifically names us and if that is not a tap on the shoulder and wake up call then I’m not sure what is.