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North Korea Secret Nukes

Aired October 17, 2002 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Up first on CNN, North Korea's nuclear admission. The White House says that the communist nation divulged its secret weapons program only after Washington confronted it with evidence. This disclosure reshapes the political landscape of the region and potentially redefines the politics of power around the world.
Our White House correspondent, Kelly Wallace, checks in now with the latest on that from there.

Hello -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.

Well, this is certainly a stunning development. U.S. officials, though, saying they hope to resolve the matter peacefully, and they are now calling on North Korea to eliminate its entire nuclear weapons program.

Now, President Bush left the White House a little bit earlier for a one-day political fund-raising trip. He did not make any comments about this matter, but he and his administration now confronting a nuclear crisis in Asia, at the same time that they are contemplating possible military action in Iraq to try and prevent Saddam Hussein from one day acquiring nuclear weapons.

Now, we understand that U.S. officials obtained some intelligence over the summer indicating that North Korea had a secret nuclear weapons program that it started in the late 1990s. And so, Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, who happens to be in Beijing meeting with Chinese officials today, confronted the North Koreans about it earlier this month in Pyongyang. And apparently, according to U.S. officials, the North Koreans did not deny it.

In fact, according to one official, they were unapologetic, and they said, yes, in fact, we do have a nuclear weapons program.

Well, the U.S. is now saying North Korea is in violation of the 1994 agreement made during the Clinton administration in which North Korea agreed to freeze its entire nuclear weapons program.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher put out a statement last night indicating this administration is not looking to improve relations with the North Koreans right now.

He went on to say in that statement, "The United States was prepared to offer economic and political steps to improve the lives of the North Korean people, provided the North were dramatically to alter its behavior across a range of issues."

He went on to say: "In light of our concerns about the North's nuclear weapons program, however, we are unable to pursue this approach."

Now, U.S. officials, again, say they hope to resolve this matter peacefully. They also say this should not in any way complicate the administration's efforts to put together a coalition to deal with Iraq, but it could be a complication. Because some U.S. allies could say, well, the administration is looking at diplomatic means to resolve one nuclear crisis, the one with North Korea, why won't it solely consider diplomatic means to resolve another crisis, this one with Iraq -- Leon.

HARRIS: Well, exactly, that is the question. And what does the White House say to that question -- Kelly?

WALLACE: Well, U.S. officials say the president has made it clear he believes Iraq is a unique case, that Saddam Hussein is a leader who has invaded other countries, that he has used weapons of mass destruction on his own people. So, they really place Iraq in another category altogether.

And they also believe, Leon, that the North Koreans had, at least in the past, indicated they wanted to engage with the West; they wanted to have a dialogue. So, they are hoping the North Koreans will still do that, allow perhaps weapons inspectors back inside that country, and perhaps, of course, to eliminate the nuclear weapons program -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right, and real quickly, Kelly, there are some 30,000 U.S. troops in that area. Is there any extra concern now or increased concern for their safety?

WALLACE: Well, there is always a concern, Leon. U.S. officials say when you have so many U.S. troops there -- you have North Korea, which has a million-man army -- it is always a tense situation.

And, in fact, Leon, U.S. officials say that in this dialogue with the North Koreans earlier this month, the North Korean official said, look, President Bush has called us part of an axis of evil, you have troops on the North Korean peninsula. Of course, we have a nuclear weapons program. Indicating this nuclear program was in response to threats by the United States.

But U.S. officials really dismiss that, and they say the North Koreans had been pursuing this for years, during the Clinton administration perhaps.

HARRIS: Boy, oh, boy -- very interesting. Thanks, Kelly -- Kelly Wallace at the White House this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired October 17, 2002 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Up first on CNN, North Korea's nuclear admission. The White House says that the communist nation divulged its secret weapons program only after Washington confronted it with evidence. This disclosure reshapes the political landscape of the region and potentially redefines the politics of power around the world.
Our White House correspondent, Kelly Wallace, checks in now with the latest on that from there.

Hello -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.

Well, this is certainly a stunning development. U.S. officials, though, saying they hope to resolve the matter peacefully, and they are now calling on North Korea to eliminate its entire nuclear weapons program.

Now, President Bush left the White House a little bit earlier for a one-day political fund-raising trip. He did not make any comments about this matter, but he and his administration now confronting a nuclear crisis in Asia, at the same time that they are contemplating possible military action in Iraq to try and prevent Saddam Hussein from one day acquiring nuclear weapons.

Now, we understand that U.S. officials obtained some intelligence over the summer indicating that North Korea had a secret nuclear weapons program that it started in the late 1990s. And so, Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, who happens to be in Beijing meeting with Chinese officials today, confronted the North Koreans about it earlier this month in Pyongyang. And apparently, according to U.S. officials, the North Koreans did not deny it.

In fact, according to one official, they were unapologetic, and they said, yes, in fact, we do have a nuclear weapons program.

Well, the U.S. is now saying North Korea is in violation of the 1994 agreement made during the Clinton administration in which North Korea agreed to freeze its entire nuclear weapons program.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher put out a statement last night indicating this administration is not looking to improve relations with the North Koreans right now.

He went on to say in that statement, "The United States was prepared to offer economic and political steps to improve the lives of the North Korean people, provided the North were dramatically to alter its behavior across a range of issues."

He went on to say: "In light of our concerns about the North's nuclear weapons program, however, we are unable to pursue this approach."

Now, U.S. officials, again, say they hope to resolve this matter peacefully. They also say this should not in any way complicate the administration's efforts to put together a coalition to deal with Iraq, but it could be a complication. Because some U.S. allies could say, well, the administration is looking at diplomatic means to resolve one nuclear crisis, the one with North Korea, why won't it solely consider diplomatic means to resolve another crisis, this one with Iraq -- Leon.

HARRIS: Well, exactly, that is the question. And what does the White House say to that question -- Kelly?

WALLACE: Well, U.S. officials say the president has made it clear he believes Iraq is a unique case, that Saddam Hussein is a leader who has invaded other countries, that he has used weapons of mass destruction on his own people. So, they really place Iraq in another category altogether.

And they also believe, Leon, that the North Koreans had, at least in the past, indicated they wanted to engage with the West; they wanted to have a dialogue. So, they are hoping the North Koreans will still do that, allow perhaps weapons inspectors back inside that country, and perhaps, of course, to eliminate the nuclear weapons program -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right, and real quickly, Kelly, there are some 30,000 U.S. troops in that area. Is there any extra concern now or increased concern for their safety?

WALLACE: Well, there is always a concern, Leon. U.S. officials say when you have so many U.S. troops there -- you have North Korea, which has a million-man army -- it is always a tense situation.

And, in fact, Leon, U.S. officials say that in this dialogue with the North Koreans earlier this month, the North Korean official said, look, President Bush has called us part of an axis of evil, you have troops on the North Korean peninsula. Of course, we have a nuclear weapons program. Indicating this nuclear program was in response to threats by the United States.

But U.S. officials really dismiss that, and they say the North Koreans had been pursuing this for years, during the Clinton administration perhaps.

HARRIS: Boy, oh, boy -- very interesting. Thanks, Kelly -- Kelly Wallace at the White House this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.