Sen. Tim Kaine: Evidence of Imminent Threat “Underwhelming”

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: I mean, it`s pretty direct. I haven`t heard Republican senators be so angry about something like this in a long time. And there`s Senator Lee standing with Senator Rand Paul. But are they outliers or do you feel that your Republican colleagues are also equally troubled about this?

SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA): Christian, there were three problems with the briefing. What I can`t disclose is intel. But I can characterize challenges. Three things that made members mad, Democrats and Republicans. One, the evidence of an imminent threat was very underwhelming, bluntly. Two, the attitude of the administration about the role of Congress in this was extremely dismissive. That was the thing that I think made Mike Lee the angriest. At some point, one of the members said something like, you know, you should be seeking our authority but, if not that, at least consulting with us. And one of the administration briefers said, well, I`m here consulting with you now. Coming by days after something with a paltry presentation is not really confrontation. And there was an audible groan in the room at that. A third issue, which is really important that left me very unsatisfied is the briefers were very cavalier about the effect of all of this on the U.S./Iraq relationship. We`ve spent so much blood and treasure in Iraq and we`ve worked so closely with them to defeat ISIS. And now, the Iraqi parliament is voting to kick U.S. troops out. The Iraqi prime minister is in protests on the streets, saying turn the U.S. out. We`re engaging in military strikes on Iraqi soil over their objection. Iraq has said to us, we want you to fight ISIS but you are not allowed to turn Iraq into a coliseum where the U.S. and Iran battle out geopolitics and hurt Iraqis in the process. And so, with their objection and we waged the strikes anyway, we`ve really hurt the U.S./Iraq relationship. And if U.S. troops have to exit Iraq, it`s going to embolden Iran and embolden ISIS. The administration was cavalier about that, oh, don`t worry. We`ll be fine with Iraq, they`re always mad about something. I view that as insulting.