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CNN Live At Daybreak
Wake-Up Call: North Korea Standoff
Aired January 13, 2003 - 06:06 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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis with North Korea is the focus of our "Wake-Up Call." Phoning in from Washington is Elise Labott, our State Department producer.
Good morning.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, what do you make of this? Did the North Koreans say what James Kelly say they did?
LABOTT: Well, officials say that Mr. Kelly confronted the north, when he went to Pyongyang in October with evidence of a program in development, not necessarily that they had nuclear weapons, but had begun amassing the ingredients, if you will, and started the process of developing the weapons. And Mr. Kelly said he was absolutely shocked, that his mouth kind of fell to the floor when the north said, yes, we are doing that. And they seemed quite entitled to be doing so.
COSTELLO: So, do you think that Mr. Kelly will go into North Korea? I know he's in South Korea now.
LABOTT: Well, there's a real process in terms of what the president would allow, in terms of whether Mr. Kelly would be able to go, negotiate with the North Koreans. Right now, there aren't any breakthroughs yet. Certainly that olive branch signals that further talks could be within reach.
As you know, those comments come on the heels of talks between North Korean officials and Governor Bill Richardson, which wrapped up over the weekend. Officials say they learned a lot from what came out of those talks. You know, we heard a lot of rhetoric from the north these past few days, Carol -- withdrawing from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, threatening to resume missile tests.
Still, U.S. officials believe this is just a negotiating tactic of North Korea to force the U.S. to the table. And those North Korean officials told Governor Richardson their country would be willing to freeze its nuclear ambitions if the U.S. would hold talks, but certainly, those talks seem a way off yet.
COSTELLO: Yes, they certainly do. Elise Labott, thank you very much for your insight 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 January 13, 2003 - 06:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis with North Korea is the focus of our "Wake-Up Call." Phoning in from Washington is Elise Labott, our State Department producer.
Good morning.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, what do you make of this? Did the North Koreans say what James Kelly say they did?
LABOTT: Well, officials say that Mr. Kelly confronted the north, when he went to Pyongyang in October with evidence of a program in development, not necessarily that they had nuclear weapons, but had begun amassing the ingredients, if you will, and started the process of developing the weapons. And Mr. Kelly said he was absolutely shocked, that his mouth kind of fell to the floor when the north said, yes, we are doing that. And they seemed quite entitled to be doing so.
COSTELLO: So, do you think that Mr. Kelly will go into North Korea? I know he's in South Korea now.
LABOTT: Well, there's a real process in terms of what the president would allow, in terms of whether Mr. Kelly would be able to go, negotiate with the North Koreans. Right now, there aren't any breakthroughs yet. Certainly that olive branch signals that further talks could be within reach.
As you know, those comments come on the heels of talks between North Korean officials and Governor Bill Richardson, which wrapped up over the weekend. Officials say they learned a lot from what came out of those talks. You know, we heard a lot of rhetoric from the north these past few days, Carol -- withdrawing from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, threatening to resume missile tests.
Still, U.S. officials believe this is just a negotiating tactic of North Korea to force the U.S. to the table. And those North Korean officials told Governor Richardson their country would be willing to freeze its nuclear ambitions if the U.S. would hold talks, but certainly, those talks seem a way off yet.
COSTELLO: Yes, they certainly do. Elise Labott, thank you very much for your insight 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.
