Rep. Turner: Assad Ouster Follows 'Diplomatic Failure'

The ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad comes after a "diplomatic failure" on the part of the United States and Turkey, House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner said Sunday.

"The U.S. has troops in Syria," the Ohio Republican said in an interview on CBS News' "Face the Nation." This is on the border of Turkey. Turkey is a NATO ally.

"The United States is working with the Kurds. This really could have been an opportunity for the United States to work to try to resolve the issue between the Kurds."

He added that he hopes that diplomacy will come into play during the transition of the Syrian government, but at the same time, "this isn't going to be just a passing of power and authority," even though Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is said to be spearheading the Syrian rebel uprising, is a terrorist organization.

President-elect Donald Trump, during his first term in office, pulled U.S. troops out of northern Syria, but Turner said Trump will make it clear that any threat to the 900 troops who remain there will face a swift response.

Trump also supports the Kurds in Syria and will seek a diplomatic solution there, said Turner.

"I think there will be an assessment as to whether or not [U.S.] troops should remain," he said.

"There is an opportunity for the parties, especially now that Iran and Russia's roles are going to be diminished," said Turner. "They have been brutal in their support with Assad, the hundreds of thousands of people, including use of chemical weapons that have been killed, have been under the Russian influence there."

Russia has two bases in Syria, both of which risk trouble for Russia and Syria, said Turner.

"They have been used before to attack the Syrian population," Turner said. "We'll have to see what Russia does there. But this is going to be an area that's going to be highly volatile and in transition."

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump has picked as his director of national intelligence, has come under fire for meeting with the deposed Syrian leader, and Turner said he does have doubts about her judgment, background, and experience.

Turner, however, said he trusts the Senate process on confirmations and that Gabbard will go through a significant evaluation before approval is reached.

But he said he believes Trump is assembling a "great national security team," including Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., as national security director and John Ratcliffe to head the CIA.

When asked about Trump's pick of Pete Hegseth to head the Department of Defense, Turner said that it is clear that the Pentagon needs to be reformed.

"We are not keeping pace with what Russia and China are doing in advanced weapon systems," Turner said. '"At the same time, we're seeing the weapon systems of advanced technology that are being utilized on the battlefield of Ukraine, and our acquisition systems and our accounting systems, our spending systems are not working at the Pentagon."

• Syrian Rebels Topple President Assad
• US Military Carried Out Dozens of Airstrikes on ISIS in Syria