Amb. Wolfowitz Raises Concerns About Surveillance and Putin

Former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said the suspected terrorist attack in Berlin, Germany proves so much more needs to be done in the fight against terror.

“I think we see in this, and we see I think here in the U.S. as well, there are a lot of gaps in our surveillance in our pursuit of people where we already know that they have a lot of bad labels on them,” Wolfowitz told the FOX Business Network’s Neil Cavuto.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Monday night’s attack that left 12 people dead and 48 injured.

One thing that needs to be done, Wolfowitz said, is that Germany needs to take a stronger stance against potential terrorists.

“I understand why the Germans don’t want to go back to Nazi methods, but they need to be much tougher on these modern day Nazis.”

Despite raising concerns in the past about Donald Trump’s foreign policy ideas, as well as the president-elect’s praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Wolfowitz said he has been reassured by Trump’s cabinet picks so far.

“I liked the appointments. I particularly like [Defense Secretary Nominee] Gen. [James] Mattis,” he said. “I worked with him when I was in the Pentagon.”

Still, Wolfowitz said he remains concerned about Putin being seen as potential ally in the global war against terror.

“I am still worried about Putin and about a tendency to take him as a man who is going to help us kill terrorists when, in fact, he’s a man who … He and his friend [Syrian President Bashar al] Assad and the Iranians go around creating terrorists and that’s very, very dangerous.”

Cavuto asked Wolfowitz whether he felt China was also a threat to the U.S.

“Look, I think we face three countries that want to recreate old empires, the Persians i.e. the Iranians, the Russians and the Chinese,” he responded. “And I think, in the long run, China is likely to be the more successful country and therefore in some ways more dangerous.”