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CNN Live Today
The Nuclear Option
Aired December 11, 2002 - 11:05 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: Now, the SCUD seizure, this is the other big news that we've been looking at this morning, a diplomatic dust-up now between the U.S. and Yemen, an ally in the war on terror. Yemen says that the 15 missiles the U.S. has taken control of on the high seas belong to its army. Yemen says it bought them from North Korea fair and square. Its government is protesting now to Washington, and say they want these missiles back.
Our senior White House correspondent John King is at the White House. Let's check in with him right now and see if there's been any response to that -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Leon, the more we learn about this, the more complicated it gets. As you noted, intense diplomatic pressure now on the Bush administration and intense consultations under way across the administration, but also with the United States government and the government of Yemen.
Yemen now says, as you know, that those missiles belong to its army and this is a legitimate purchase. There is nothing in international law to prohibit Yemen from buying conventional weapons, like SCUD missiles, from the government of North Korea.
U.S. officials say they when seized this ship, with the cooperation of Spain, it was believed that the ship was headed to Yemen, but that the United States government did not know the final destination of the SCUD missiles believed to be on board. Those weapons seized consisted with the new Bush administration doctrine to try to keep weapons of mass destruction or the means of delivering them out of the hands of terrorist groups or regimes the United States considers unfriendly.
It was just yesterday, the Bush administration released an unclassified summary of that strategy, in which the administration says -- quote -- "Effective interdiction is a critical part of the U.S. strategy to combat weapons of mass destruction and their delivery means.
SCUD missiles are capable of carrying chemical or biological warheads, but sources telling us, the warheads seizes, along with the missiles aboard this ship, were conventional warheads.
Yemen, initially we are told by some senior officials, some officials saying Yemen initially said it was not trying to purchase any SCUD missiles from North Korea. The United States seized this shipment. Now Yemen says it was part of an arms purchase, so sensitive consultations underway with a government that is a critical ally of the United States on the war on terrorism.
On the table is the possibility, U.S. officials tell us, that ultimately, those might end up being delivered to Yemen as initially scheduled -- Leon.
HARRIS: And you know, John, timing is everything. To me, it's interesting that this happens in the same day and same news cycle as we've been talking this morning off and on about the White House's newly pronounced policy about preemptive strikes, this being one here. There was also talk this morning coming out of Washington about the possibility of there being limited nuclear strikes included in this preemptive-strike policy coming out of the White House. What have you heard about that.
KING: A reiteration in an expansion of a policy. You might recall that the former President Bush made clear just before the Persian Gulf War, back more than a decade ago. Former President Bush said it was made crystal clear to the Iraqi government that if chemical or biological weapons were used against U.S. troops, against Israel, against Kuwait or against Saudi Arabia, that the United States would consider the use of nuclear weapons in retaliation. That is now incorporated in this new Bush administration strategy to combat the weapons of mass destruction, that the United States would use all of its options, including nuclear weapons, as a possibility if anyone threatened, or if anyone used weapons of mass destruction against the United States or its allies. This, the Bush administration saying, is the new strategy of deterrence.
In the Cold War, you had mutually assured destruction between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Bush administration saying the threat is now terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, and that this is the new doctrine to strategically defend the United States.
HARRIS: A new doctrine for a new day and age of threats.
John King at the White House. Thanks, John. We'll let you go get dry now.
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 December 11, 2002 - 11:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, the SCUD seizure, this is the other big news that we've been looking at this morning, a diplomatic dust-up now between the U.S. and Yemen, an ally in the war on terror. Yemen says that the 15 missiles the U.S. has taken control of on the high seas belong to its army. Yemen says it bought them from North Korea fair and square. Its government is protesting now to Washington, and say they want these missiles back.
Our senior White House correspondent John King is at the White House. Let's check in with him right now and see if there's been any response to that -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Leon, the more we learn about this, the more complicated it gets. As you noted, intense diplomatic pressure now on the Bush administration and intense consultations under way across the administration, but also with the United States government and the government of Yemen.
Yemen now says, as you know, that those missiles belong to its army and this is a legitimate purchase. There is nothing in international law to prohibit Yemen from buying conventional weapons, like SCUD missiles, from the government of North Korea.
U.S. officials say they when seized this ship, with the cooperation of Spain, it was believed that the ship was headed to Yemen, but that the United States government did not know the final destination of the SCUD missiles believed to be on board. Those weapons seized consisted with the new Bush administration doctrine to try to keep weapons of mass destruction or the means of delivering them out of the hands of terrorist groups or regimes the United States considers unfriendly.
It was just yesterday, the Bush administration released an unclassified summary of that strategy, in which the administration says -- quote -- "Effective interdiction is a critical part of the U.S. strategy to combat weapons of mass destruction and their delivery means.
SCUD missiles are capable of carrying chemical or biological warheads, but sources telling us, the warheads seizes, along with the missiles aboard this ship, were conventional warheads.
Yemen, initially we are told by some senior officials, some officials saying Yemen initially said it was not trying to purchase any SCUD missiles from North Korea. The United States seized this shipment. Now Yemen says it was part of an arms purchase, so sensitive consultations underway with a government that is a critical ally of the United States on the war on terrorism.
On the table is the possibility, U.S. officials tell us, that ultimately, those might end up being delivered to Yemen as initially scheduled -- Leon.
HARRIS: And you know, John, timing is everything. To me, it's interesting that this happens in the same day and same news cycle as we've been talking this morning off and on about the White House's newly pronounced policy about preemptive strikes, this being one here. There was also talk this morning coming out of Washington about the possibility of there being limited nuclear strikes included in this preemptive-strike policy coming out of the White House. What have you heard about that.
KING: A reiteration in an expansion of a policy. You might recall that the former President Bush made clear just before the Persian Gulf War, back more than a decade ago. Former President Bush said it was made crystal clear to the Iraqi government that if chemical or biological weapons were used against U.S. troops, against Israel, against Kuwait or against Saudi Arabia, that the United States would consider the use of nuclear weapons in retaliation. That is now incorporated in this new Bush administration strategy to combat the weapons of mass destruction, that the United States would use all of its options, including nuclear weapons, as a possibility if anyone threatened, or if anyone used weapons of mass destruction against the United States or its allies. This, the Bush administration saying, is the new strategy of deterrence.
In the Cold War, you had mutually assured destruction between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Bush administration saying the threat is now terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, and that this is the new doctrine to strategically defend the United States.
HARRIS: A new doctrine for a new day and age of threats.
John King at the White House. Thanks, John. We'll let you go get dry now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
