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CNN Live Today
South Korea Hinting It May Open Talks With North
Aired December 30, 2002 - 11:08 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, South Korea is hinting today it may actually open talks with the north, attempting to persuade Pyongyang to drop its nuclear program. That is something the Bush team refuses to do right now, but the U.S. administration is toning down its talk, refusing to label the situation a crisis.
CNN white house correspondent Dana Bash joins us right now live from the White House.
Dana, does it sound like the administration's tactic is to let the allies in the region talk to their own neighbor?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Carol, that's exactly what their strategy is here at the White House, and specifically it is that they believe that North Korea something trying and ratcheting up its nuclear program, is trying to get the United States to come to the negotiating table to have direct talks with that country over things like a nonaggression pact and economic aid.
But Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was sent out yesterday as a representative of the Bush administration, to try to explain that U.S. policy, he said that the United States will not reward North Korea for its bad behavior.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: The efforts of the international community I think are bearing fruit and will bear fruit, so I don't think we have a crisis in North Korea. We will have a very serious situation, and we are not underestimating the seriousness of that situation, but President Bush is deeply engaged in trying to find a solution, as is his whole national security team.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now critics say this actually is a crisis here with North Korea, and Democratic senators were out on the Sunday talk shows yesterday saying that the administration, the Bush administration's policy of not having direct talks with North Korea is a problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: It's a crisis, because clearly it's a critical part of our foreign policy in Asia and on the Korean peninsula, that North Korea not become a greater nuclear power, and the policy that the administration has followed thus far has made a difficult situation into a dangerous one. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Secretary Powell did say yesterday that North Korea could, in fact, have as many as six new nuclear weapons in several months if they do restart the -- and use the spent fuel rods at the facility in Pyongyang (ph), which is where they have ripped off the seals from where the international inspectors were monitoring the situation there, but he said that it's important for the allies in the region and the U.S.'s partners in the region to maintain economic, he used the term leverage, and try to maintain -- force North Korea to stop its nuclear program.
LIN: Thank you very much, Dana Bash, with the latest on the situation with North Korea. Dana, live out of the White House. Thank you very much.
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 30, 2002 - 11:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, South Korea is hinting today it may actually open talks with the north, attempting to persuade Pyongyang to drop its nuclear program. That is something the Bush team refuses to do right now, but the U.S. administration is toning down its talk, refusing to label the situation a crisis.
CNN white house correspondent Dana Bash joins us right now live from the White House.
Dana, does it sound like the administration's tactic is to let the allies in the region talk to their own neighbor?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Carol, that's exactly what their strategy is here at the White House, and specifically it is that they believe that North Korea something trying and ratcheting up its nuclear program, is trying to get the United States to come to the negotiating table to have direct talks with that country over things like a nonaggression pact and economic aid.
But Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was sent out yesterday as a representative of the Bush administration, to try to explain that U.S. policy, he said that the United States will not reward North Korea for its bad behavior.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: The efforts of the international community I think are bearing fruit and will bear fruit, so I don't think we have a crisis in North Korea. We will have a very serious situation, and we are not underestimating the seriousness of that situation, but President Bush is deeply engaged in trying to find a solution, as is his whole national security team.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now critics say this actually is a crisis here with North Korea, and Democratic senators were out on the Sunday talk shows yesterday saying that the administration, the Bush administration's policy of not having direct talks with North Korea is a problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: It's a crisis, because clearly it's a critical part of our foreign policy in Asia and on the Korean peninsula, that North Korea not become a greater nuclear power, and the policy that the administration has followed thus far has made a difficult situation into a dangerous one. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Secretary Powell did say yesterday that North Korea could, in fact, have as many as six new nuclear weapons in several months if they do restart the -- and use the spent fuel rods at the facility in Pyongyang (ph), which is where they have ripped off the seals from where the international inspectors were monitoring the situation there, but he said that it's important for the allies in the region and the U.S.'s partners in the region to maintain economic, he used the term leverage, and try to maintain -- force North Korea to stop its nuclear program.
LIN: Thank you very much, Dana Bash, with the latest on the situation with North Korea. Dana, live out of the White House. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
