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CNN Live Today
Nuclear Axis of Evil?
Aired December 13, 2002 - 10:52 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: Let's get reaction to this news. Let's go down to the White House. Our John King is standing by there -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Leon, this agency that probably most Americans and many around the world had never heard of is front and center in a number of disputes. Christiane called it the president's "axis of evil" -- North Korea, Iran and Iraq all developing nuclear programs, all worrisome from the standpoint of the White House. And they believe the International Atomic Energy Agency must take the lead in all three countries in getting in there and verifying the depth and the extent of those nuclear programs.
North Korea is front and center because of North Korea's statement yesterday that it would restart nuclear facilities shut down as part of the 1994 agreement with the United States. President Bush called the South Korean President Kim Dae Jung this morning. The South Korean leader, we are told, said it was unacceptable what North Korea was doing. And that President Bush agreed and said he wanted to resolve this peacefully, but that he would not tolerate -- quote -- "business as usual" from North Korea.
What the president means is this administration believes North Korea takes these steps knowing it'll cause international outrage, hoping it will get negotiations, get economic aid, get humanitarian assistance out of what the White House called provocative steps. This White House says that won't happen, that North Korea must publicly disavow its nuclear program, let Mr. El-Baradei and his inspectors in, and only then would it get aid and negotiations.
On the issue of Iraq, the administration is presenting to the United Nations today its preliminary analysis that Iraq has failed the test, that it has not given enough information to the United Nations, either about chemical or biological weapons or its nuclear program.
Interestingly, though, Leon, here at the White House Ari Fleischer said he will not discuss any preliminary findings publicly. The administration still needs, he says, some time, and we are told by some officials it could be as long as two more weeks, to develop a full analysis of the Iraqi document -- Leon.
HARRIS: Well, that may be the case. With the analysis so far, it's clear the world coming from Washington is there are holes big enough in the Iraqi declaration to drive a tank through. What is the latest thinking now about whether or not President Bush and his team will see this and establish this as a material breach, which will allow them to go forward with any action? KING: U.S. officials tell us down the line they may well, and many officials believe the United States certainly will declare Iraq in material breach. It is the clear strategy of this White House right now to buy a little time. They want to see how the inspectors work, the inspections work over the next several weeks. They're urging Mr. Blix and Mr. El-Baradei the two facets of the inspections teams on the ground, to add more personnel, add more equipment, be more aggressive on the ground.
The administration is taking the time as it assesses this Iraqi document to reassess the political environment, to see what the climate is in the United Nations Security Council, elsewhere in the world, also waiting to hear back from General Tommy Franks, conducting war game exercises in Qatar. Military preparations continue. A clear shift, they say will tone down the public rhetoric for now, they will present findings critical to the United Nations, but you won't hear it from the White House; they want to analyze it more closely, and get a better sense of the political environment, if you will.
HARRIS: Great, John, thank you very much. John King at the White House.
Let's go now to North Korea. Our Mike Chinoy is standing by. He has got the latest reaction that's coming from Asia on this. He joins us from Hong Kong. He's not in North Korea, but he's monitoring the situation there, and this rhetorical debate that's been generated between North Korea and Washington with the resumption of the nuclear program there in North Korea.
Mike, what are you hearing there?
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, if you talk to North Korean diplomats, as I've been doing in recent weeks, and if you study the North Korean government-controlled media, what is strikingly different than the situation in Iraq, is that the North Koreans are very open that their desire is not to have a confrontation with the United States. They say explicitly, they want to have better relations with the United States. They are immensely frustrated by what they see as the hostile approach that the Bush administration has taken towards the regime in Pyongyang ever since Mr. Bush took office.
The Bush administration discarded the very conciliatory approach of the Clinton administration. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, for example, had visited North Korea shortly before the Clinton administration left office. But the Bush administration came in promising a much tougher, more rigorous approach to North Korea. And the North Koreans explain the moves they have made on unfreezing their nuclear program as a response to pressure from Washington.
However, the North Korean media is saying that they still are committed to a peaceful settlement, and Mr. Bush was quoted as saying he want ad peaceful settlement also.
So as the head of the IAEA pointed out, there are pieces of the puzzle on the table. The problem is the Bush administration feels that getting into negotiations over this now would essentially be submitting to North Korean blackmail. The North Koreans, from their point of view, believe that what the U.S. is doing is making -- agreeing to negotiations, the reward for unilateral concessions, but the North Koreans are explicit that the nuclear program is up for grabs, it can be put on the table and that Pyongyang is willing to get rid of it as a broader political solution with the United States. And the deadlock is that the North Koreans say it has to be negotiated, and the Bush administration says the North Koreans have to give up their nuclear ambitions first before any talks can start.
And the danger is that if there's no contact between the two, there is a kind of tit for tat gradual escalation process. And if the U.S. now says no business as usual with North Korea and the North Koreans choose, for example, to kick out the inspectors who are there or to uncan the plutonium in the cooling pond, steps they have not yet taken, this crisis could begin to spiral out of control.
HARRIS: If that happens, if they kick the inspectors out, that opens up a whole different can of worms there.
Mike Hanna, thanks for giving us that perspective. Take care.
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 13, 2002 - 10:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get reaction to this news. Let's go down to the White House. Our John King is standing by there -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Leon, this agency that probably most Americans and many around the world had never heard of is front and center in a number of disputes. Christiane called it the president's "axis of evil" -- North Korea, Iran and Iraq all developing nuclear programs, all worrisome from the standpoint of the White House. And they believe the International Atomic Energy Agency must take the lead in all three countries in getting in there and verifying the depth and the extent of those nuclear programs.
North Korea is front and center because of North Korea's statement yesterday that it would restart nuclear facilities shut down as part of the 1994 agreement with the United States. President Bush called the South Korean President Kim Dae Jung this morning. The South Korean leader, we are told, said it was unacceptable what North Korea was doing. And that President Bush agreed and said he wanted to resolve this peacefully, but that he would not tolerate -- quote -- "business as usual" from North Korea.
What the president means is this administration believes North Korea takes these steps knowing it'll cause international outrage, hoping it will get negotiations, get economic aid, get humanitarian assistance out of what the White House called provocative steps. This White House says that won't happen, that North Korea must publicly disavow its nuclear program, let Mr. El-Baradei and his inspectors in, and only then would it get aid and negotiations.
On the issue of Iraq, the administration is presenting to the United Nations today its preliminary analysis that Iraq has failed the test, that it has not given enough information to the United Nations, either about chemical or biological weapons or its nuclear program.
Interestingly, though, Leon, here at the White House Ari Fleischer said he will not discuss any preliminary findings publicly. The administration still needs, he says, some time, and we are told by some officials it could be as long as two more weeks, to develop a full analysis of the Iraqi document -- Leon.
HARRIS: Well, that may be the case. With the analysis so far, it's clear the world coming from Washington is there are holes big enough in the Iraqi declaration to drive a tank through. What is the latest thinking now about whether or not President Bush and his team will see this and establish this as a material breach, which will allow them to go forward with any action? KING: U.S. officials tell us down the line they may well, and many officials believe the United States certainly will declare Iraq in material breach. It is the clear strategy of this White House right now to buy a little time. They want to see how the inspectors work, the inspections work over the next several weeks. They're urging Mr. Blix and Mr. El-Baradei the two facets of the inspections teams on the ground, to add more personnel, add more equipment, be more aggressive on the ground.
The administration is taking the time as it assesses this Iraqi document to reassess the political environment, to see what the climate is in the United Nations Security Council, elsewhere in the world, also waiting to hear back from General Tommy Franks, conducting war game exercises in Qatar. Military preparations continue. A clear shift, they say will tone down the public rhetoric for now, they will present findings critical to the United Nations, but you won't hear it from the White House; they want to analyze it more closely, and get a better sense of the political environment, if you will.
HARRIS: Great, John, thank you very much. John King at the White House.
Let's go now to North Korea. Our Mike Chinoy is standing by. He has got the latest reaction that's coming from Asia on this. He joins us from Hong Kong. He's not in North Korea, but he's monitoring the situation there, and this rhetorical debate that's been generated between North Korea and Washington with the resumption of the nuclear program there in North Korea.
Mike, what are you hearing there?
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, if you talk to North Korean diplomats, as I've been doing in recent weeks, and if you study the North Korean government-controlled media, what is strikingly different than the situation in Iraq, is that the North Koreans are very open that their desire is not to have a confrontation with the United States. They say explicitly, they want to have better relations with the United States. They are immensely frustrated by what they see as the hostile approach that the Bush administration has taken towards the regime in Pyongyang ever since Mr. Bush took office.
The Bush administration discarded the very conciliatory approach of the Clinton administration. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, for example, had visited North Korea shortly before the Clinton administration left office. But the Bush administration came in promising a much tougher, more rigorous approach to North Korea. And the North Koreans explain the moves they have made on unfreezing their nuclear program as a response to pressure from Washington.
However, the North Korean media is saying that they still are committed to a peaceful settlement, and Mr. Bush was quoted as saying he want ad peaceful settlement also.
So as the head of the IAEA pointed out, there are pieces of the puzzle on the table. The problem is the Bush administration feels that getting into negotiations over this now would essentially be submitting to North Korean blackmail. The North Koreans, from their point of view, believe that what the U.S. is doing is making -- agreeing to negotiations, the reward for unilateral concessions, but the North Koreans are explicit that the nuclear program is up for grabs, it can be put on the table and that Pyongyang is willing to get rid of it as a broader political solution with the United States. And the deadlock is that the North Koreans say it has to be negotiated, and the Bush administration says the North Koreans have to give up their nuclear ambitions first before any talks can start.
And the danger is that if there's no contact between the two, there is a kind of tit for tat gradual escalation process. And if the U.S. now says no business as usual with North Korea and the North Koreans choose, for example, to kick out the inspectors who are there or to uncan the plutonium in the cooling pond, steps they have not yet taken, this crisis could begin to spiral out of control.
HARRIS: If that happens, if they kick the inspectors out, that opens up a whole different can of worms there.
Mike Hanna, thanks for giving us that perspective. Take care.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
