Mark Esper: I 'Didn't See' Specific Evidence Of Iran Threat To 4 U.S. Embassies

Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday defended President Donald Trump s order to assassinate Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, but admitted he didnt see any specific evidence backing up the presidents claim that Soleimani had been planning imminent attacks on multiple U.S. embassies.

During an interview Friday with Fox News Laura Ingraham, Trump fired back at critics who opposed his decision to take out Soleimani, claiming the Iranian military leader was readying assaults on four U.S. embassies, including in Baghdad. He did not cite any specific intelligence during the interview.

Asked about Trumps assertion on Sunday, Esper told CBSs Face the Nation that exquisite intelligence shared with the Gang of Eight a group of top congressional leaders typically briefed on highly sensitive intelligence matters referenced an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Pressed by host Margaret Brennan about a specific piece of intelligence that might have indicated threats to multiple embassies, Esper said Trump had merely said he believed that there probably and could have been attacks on additional embassies.

Are you saying there wasnt one? Brennan asked.

I didnt see one with regard to four embassies, Esper responded. What Im saying is that I share the presidents view that probably my expectation was that they were going to go after our embassies.

NEWS: @EsperDod tells @margbrennan he \"didn't see\" specific evidence showing Iran planned to strike 4 U.S. embassies, despite @realDonaldTrump saying an attack at multiple embassies was imminent.\" Watch more of Esper's interview on @FacetheNation today. pic.twitter.com/1Nud8waok1

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NEWS: @EsperDod tells @margbrennan he "didn't see" specific evidence showing Iran planned to strike 4 U.S. embassies, despite @realDonaldTrump saying an attack at multiple embassies was imminent." Watch more of Esper's interview on @FacetheNation today. pic.twitter.com/1Nud8waok1
Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 12, 2020

CNN s Jake Tapper also grilled Esper about Trumps claim about the four embassies on Sundays State of the Union, but the defense secretary said he wouldnt discuss intelligence matters here on the show.

There was evidence that part of the attack would have been against the United States Embassy ... in Baghdad, Esper said, prompting Tapper to ask about the other three embassies mentioned by Trump.

Im not going to discuss intelligence, Esper said. What the president said was he believed it probably could have been. He didnt cite intelligence.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper: \"There was intelligence that there was an intent to target the US embassy in Baghdad. What the President said with regard to the four embassies is what I believe as well\" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/CNwo6PLK41

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Defense Secretary Mark Esper: "There was intelligence that there was an intent to target the US embassy in Baghdad. What the President said with regard to the four embassies is what I believe as well" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/CNwo6PLK41
CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 12, 2020

A bipartisan group of lawmakers say Trump administration officials failed to provide during a classified Senate briefing earlier this week adequate proof that Iran was planning imminent attacks on Americans ahead of Soleimanis assassination by drone on Jan. 3.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Wednesday called the meeting probably the worst briefing, at least on a military issue hes attended in his nine years in the Senate. He said officials told lawmakers not to publicly debate the merits of the Soleimani strike.

I find that absolutely insane, Lee told reporters . I think its unacceptable.

Esper on Sunday said the Gang of Eight found the intelligence persuasive and had urged administration officials not to share it with other lawmakers.

But House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the Gang of Eight, told Face the Nation later Sunday that Espers intelligence assessment was just plain wrong.

There was no discussion in the Gang of Eight briefing that, These are the four embassies that are being targeted and we have exquisite intelligence that shows these are the specific targets, Schiff said.

He said he didnt recall administration officials discussing the potential bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

The briefing was much more along the lines, frankly, of something that Secretary Pompeo admitted the other day, Schiff continued, when he said that, We dont know precisely where and we dont know precisely when.

.@RepAdamSchiff mSchiff responds to @EsperDoDs intelligence assessment: I dont quibble with it, says @EsperDOD is just plain wrong, adding that he doesnt recall specific information about a plot to bomb the US embassy in Baghdad. pic.twitter.com/1tWdiS52Y1

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.@RepAdamSchiff mSchiff responds to @EsperDoD s intelligence assessment: I dont quibble with it, says @EsperDOD is just plain wrong, adding that he doesnt recall specific information about a plot to bomb the US embassy in Baghdad. pic.twitter.com/1tWdiS52Y1
Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 12, 2020

National security adviser Robert OBrien, who, like Esper, cited exquisite intelligence, said Sunday that he had seen evidence that Iran was looking at U.S. facilities throughout the region and that they wanted to inflict casualties.

The threat was imminent, OBrien told NBCs Meet the Press. He did not share specific evidence showing Iran had planned attacks against four U.S. embassies.

Id love to have the intelligence out there now, he continued. Unfortunately, if we declassified it, we could end up losing that stream of intelligence that will allow us to protect Americans going forward, and so we cant. But the presidents interpretation of that intelligence is very consistent with it.

WATCH: Natl Sec. Adviser OBrien defends Trumps claim an attack was imminent on embassies in Baghdad and 4 unnamed countries. #IfItsSunday@chucktodd: What did you do for the other 3 embassies?

OBrien: We took measures I am not going to get in the details of that. pic.twitter.com/0voWTs9Cy9

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WATCH: Natl Sec. Adviser OBrien defends Trumps claim an attack was imminent on embassies in Baghdad and 4 unnamed countries. #IfItsSunday @chucktodd : What did you do for the other 3 embassies?

OBrien: We took measures I am not going to get in the details of that. pic.twitter.com/0voWTs9Cy9
Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) January 12, 2020

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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who echoed Lees frustration with the U.S. military action against Iran, said minutes later during an interview with Meet the Press that claims about exquisite intelligence seemed inconsistent.

Weve heard contradictory information, Paul said. Weve heard from [Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] that they dont know where or when but it was imminent. That to me does seem inconsistent.

This story has been updated to include Schiffs comments.