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CNN Live Today
Dramatic Developments in North Korea
Aired December 24, 2002 - 10:07 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: White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is live at the White House. Let's go to her and check and see what she's hearing at the White House.
Hello, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.
Well, President Bush and the first family are spending the vacation at Camp David. They'll go on to Crawford, Texas. As you mentioned, the Bush administration is dealing with an increasingly defiant North Korea. The White House is downplaying, however, the sense of urgency, saying their in the initial stages of diplomacy, but the White House is under increasing pressure from members of Congress who really wanted administration to reassess its priorities, whether it should be dealing with North Korea before Iraq.
It was within the last 72 hours that the International Atomic Energy Agency reported some dramatic developments there, that they have seen North Korea has dismantled and removed all of the monitoring equipment there at a nuclear reactor complex. It has also broken seals to get access to spent fuel rods and equipment used to turn them into weapons grade-material.
Experts say perhaps North Korea could actually start making these types of devices, these bombs, within six months. This is something that very much concerns them, but the administration saying it is emphasizing its diplomatic means, economic means. The United States allies, such as Russia, Japan, South Korea really putting a lot of pressure on North Korea to comply, and at the same time, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld also warning North Korea, that yes, the United States is capable, if necessary, of dealing with North Korea and Iraq at the same time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECY. OF DEFENSE: We are capable of fighting two major regional conflicts, as the national strategy and the force sizing construct clearly indicates. We're capable of winning decisively in one and swiftly defeating in the case of the other, and let there be no doubt about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Having said that, the administration is emphasizing they are still willing to talk. Diplomatic means and economic pressure is really the preferred way to go at this time but that they will not negotiate with North Korea, that it must comply first in disbanding its nuclear program -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, Suzanne, well it's clear the Bush administration won't be cutting North Korea any slack. How's this for a segue? We understand that President Bush is going to cut a break for people here in the states by issuing some pardons, by the way?
MALVEAUX: OK, that's the turn there, OK.
As a matter of fact, yes, he issued seven pardons. They were from minor infractions we're told. One who was guilty of producing moonshine. Another one who had stolen about $10.90 from the post office. President Bush, the first time that he's issued pardons in his presidency, something that his aides say he certainly does not take lightly. As you know, there have been controversies before over presidential pardons, but this is the first time he has actually issued them, saying that all of them have made good on their lives now, and that he decided to make that exception for those seven individuals.
ZAHN: All right. Good deal. I guess they're going to have a happy Christmas, one way or the other.
Suzanne Malveaux, hope you do the same thing, all right.
MALVEAUX: Thank you. You, too.
ZAHN: Suzanne Malveaux over at the White House.
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 24, 2002 - 10:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is live at the White House. Let's go to her and check and see what she's hearing at the White House.
Hello, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.
Well, President Bush and the first family are spending the vacation at Camp David. They'll go on to Crawford, Texas. As you mentioned, the Bush administration is dealing with an increasingly defiant North Korea. The White House is downplaying, however, the sense of urgency, saying their in the initial stages of diplomacy, but the White House is under increasing pressure from members of Congress who really wanted administration to reassess its priorities, whether it should be dealing with North Korea before Iraq.
It was within the last 72 hours that the International Atomic Energy Agency reported some dramatic developments there, that they have seen North Korea has dismantled and removed all of the monitoring equipment there at a nuclear reactor complex. It has also broken seals to get access to spent fuel rods and equipment used to turn them into weapons grade-material.
Experts say perhaps North Korea could actually start making these types of devices, these bombs, within six months. This is something that very much concerns them, but the administration saying it is emphasizing its diplomatic means, economic means. The United States allies, such as Russia, Japan, South Korea really putting a lot of pressure on North Korea to comply, and at the same time, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld also warning North Korea, that yes, the United States is capable, if necessary, of dealing with North Korea and Iraq at the same time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECY. OF DEFENSE: We are capable of fighting two major regional conflicts, as the national strategy and the force sizing construct clearly indicates. We're capable of winning decisively in one and swiftly defeating in the case of the other, and let there be no doubt about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Having said that, the administration is emphasizing they are still willing to talk. Diplomatic means and economic pressure is really the preferred way to go at this time but that they will not negotiate with North Korea, that it must comply first in disbanding its nuclear program -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, Suzanne, well it's clear the Bush administration won't be cutting North Korea any slack. How's this for a segue? We understand that President Bush is going to cut a break for people here in the states by issuing some pardons, by the way?
MALVEAUX: OK, that's the turn there, OK.
As a matter of fact, yes, he issued seven pardons. They were from minor infractions we're told. One who was guilty of producing moonshine. Another one who had stolen about $10.90 from the post office. President Bush, the first time that he's issued pardons in his presidency, something that his aides say he certainly does not take lightly. As you know, there have been controversies before over presidential pardons, but this is the first time he has actually issued them, saying that all of them have made good on their lives now, and that he decided to make that exception for those seven individuals.
ZAHN: All right. Good deal. I guess they're going to have a happy Christmas, one way or the other.
Suzanne Malveaux, hope you do the same thing, all right.
MALVEAUX: Thank you. You, too.
ZAHN: Suzanne Malveaux over at the White House.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
