Appearing on Wednesday’s NBC Today, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge repeatedly ripped President Obama’s failing foreign policy against ISIS as co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Matt Lauer sat back without comment.
Lauer asked: “From where you're sitting, what are we learning about ISIS based on what we're seeing in Paris?” Ridge replied by firing his first shots at Obama: “Well, we know they’re not a JV team, we know they’re not contained....You also have to start playing offense....the President can't let the clock run out. I know he loves basketball, but it's not like running out the clock. You run out the clock when you're winning.”
In part two of the interview minutes later, Ridge stayed on the attack:
...we need leadership. It may have to come from President Hollande. This President has spent more time criticizing Republicans in their rejection of refugees. He ought to be providing the leadership that historically the rest of the world looks to....Right now there's no leadership from America and I think it's about time that the President understood he's commander-in-chief until January of 2017. It's about time to lead.
Here is a full transcript of the November 18 interview:
7:07 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: That’s a good segue to former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Secretary Ridge, good morning, good to have you here, sir.
TOM RIDGE: Good morning.
GUTHRIE: We don't want to alarm people because perhaps Europe's situation is a great deal worse than ours is. However, do you see things in Paris that could be replicated here? What is waking you up in the middle of the night these days?
RIDGE: Well, I think the tone of your question is precisely the right one. We're allowed to be anxious because Americans responded to those attacks just like we responded to 9/11. There was horror, there was sorrow. And I think our anger went to rage and we want to hold folks accountable. So I think me advice that Shawn [Henry] said. We've got eyes and ears in the neighborhoods, let's just simply be aware.
But let's also understand we've got a great intelligence capability, we’ve got enormous law enforcement capability. I think one of the challenges we have here is for the FBI to work more closely and collaboratively with the hundreds of thousands of men and women, police forces in the state and local level. They don't have the manpower in Washington, D.C. to do this, so let's empower them with information.
MATT LAUER: We never want terrorists to be successful in carrying out an attack, but when they do carry something out, it opens a window for us. We learn things about their tactics and their structure and their organization. From where you're sitting, what are we learning about ISIS based on what we're seeing in Paris?
RIDGE: Well, we know they’re not a JV team, we know they’re not contained. We know they’re amoeba-like, we know they’ve got are a rather significant reach. That's one of the reasons that I would call for use of the force multiplier with the state and locals, arm them with information. I wonder what would have happened had Ed Davis in Boston been aware of the Tsarnaev brothers in his presence. He found out about it after the bombs went off. So I think there are a lot of learnings, but I think one of the things we need to learn and really learn to appreciate is the hundreds of thousands of men and women back home.
You also have to start playing offense, Matt. I mean, we got to start dealing with – there’s a lot of discussion about refugees these days. There's a real serious problem over there. We've got to play defense at home, but the President can't let the clock run out. I know he loves basketball, but it's not like running out the clock. You run out the clock when you're winning. We need to build a coalition to deal with this in Syria as well
LAUER: You mentioned here at home, there are some stories relating to this taking place her at home, so stick around for a second. I want to ask you about those in a second.
(...)
7:13 AM ET
GUTHRIE: We want to turn again to former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. And there is a technical piece of this as well, another thing we're learning more and more about is how these terrorists are using encrypted channels. It's getting harder and harder for our good guys to listen in on the bad guys' conversations. There's even been a suggestion that Silicon Valley should get involved and be helpful to law enforcement. What do you think about that, and is it even feasible?
RIDGE: Well, I think Director Comey has made several trips there imploring them to assist in dealing with this. One of the incredible ironies is that ISIS rejects the modern world and yet they use the modern world and the technology of the modern world and social media and the internet to spread their ideology, to recruit, et cetera, et cetera. So I think Director Comey is on the right path, and I hope that his entreaties to Silicon Valley fall on receptive years because it's a real challenge for the FBI and law enforcement globally.
LAUER: When you were secretary of Homeland Security, we had that color-coded security alert system. If you were in that position now, would we be at red alert in this country right now?
RIDGE: Well, I couldn't tell you because I don't know what the intelligence is. But you know, it was much maligned the at the time, but I do think it was designed so that when they had specific credible information, either sector specific or nationally, they could use it to alert folks. What people never quite understood was every color represented a level of security.
The challenge we have now since 9/11 is that we know – we know that the intelligence of law enforcement community, if they get specific threats, they will act and they will act immediately. It's the unknown – it is the unknown that's the real challenge right now, all the more reason to use the force multiplier, use the folks on the streets in these communities.
All the more reason to start playing offense. It's about time that somebody led a coalition. We've got some – we've got some – we need leadership. It may have to come from President Hollande. This President has spent more time criticizing Republicans in their rejection of refugees. He ought to be providing the leadership that historically the rest of the world looks to. Our friends look to it. Our foes want to understand where we are. Right now there's no leadership from America and I think it's about time that the President understood he's commander-in-chief until January of 2017. It's about time to lead.
GUTHRIE: Well, there are so many issues that are raised by these attacks in Paris.
RIDGE: Absolutely.
GUTHRIE: Secretary Ridge, thank you for being with us, we appreciate it.
RIDGE: It’s great to be with you this morning, thank you.
