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CNN Live Today
Bush to Meet with Polish President
Aired January 14, 2003 - 10:01 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: Up first this hour, the view from the White House. A news briefing is set to get underway later on this hour, and we could learn more about the two issues that are dominating the president's agenda -- North Korea and Iraq.
CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King is standing by at his post at the executive mansion. Let's go to him to get the latest -- morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Leon. Let's start with North Korea. The search for a diplomatic break through continues. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, the president's point man on the Korean peninsula, he is now in Beijing. He was in Seoul, South Korea yesterday. Now in Beijing, China, seeking China's help in trying to broker an end to this standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
Some progress in the sense that China says it would be willing to host any conversations between the U.S. and North Korea. On the one hand, the White House says that is helpful and a positive step and proof that the international community is coming together with resolve to try to end this standoff.
On the other hand, the White House says it would be much more helpful if China used its influence to put pressure on North Korea to deal with the substance of the dispute. The White House says it could meet with the North Koreans in New York, that that channel of communication is already open.
The help it wants most from China and others would be for pressure on the North Korean regime to say it will end its nuclear weapons program, and not only that it will end it. The Bush administration says any agreement must include clearly verifiable steps, detailed verification procedures, so there could be inspections in North Korea, not only in the short term, but in the long term to make sure there was no nuclear weapons program. The administration says there can be no quid pro quo, but it is publicly dangling the prospect of some inducements, including, perhaps, energy aid. Secretary Powell quoted in the "Wall Street Journal" as saying there could be security assurances to the degree the United States would make a commitment to have no hostile intentions toward the North. All this discussion right now, though, no breakthrough in sight. The White House says it is waiting for North Korea to pick up the phone and say it is willing to sit down and talk -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right. How about the talk about Iraq right now, John? Especially with talk coming from U.N. weapons inspector -- chief weapons inspector Hans Blix yesterday about these inspections needing to go on through March, at least. What's the word there at the White House about how this may be complicating the planning?
KING: Well, certainly, there has been speculation for some time that the president faces a decision sometime in the February-March time frame as to whether to use this current escalating military deployment and to make the pivot point from diplomacy and inspections to a military confrontation.
White House officials insist there is no deadline at all, and they will wait for the January 27 report from Hans Blix and his team as to decide what comes next, and whether we are at that critical decision making point.
In the meantime, while awaiting that report on January 27 and assessing the progress, or lack thereof in the White House view sometimes, of the inspectors, the president continuing to work on building what he calls the -- quote -- "coalition of the willing."
The Polish president, Aleksander Kwasniewski, is in town. He was at the Pentagon earlier today, being received there with a full honor guard as he made the rounds over at the Pentagon.
Poland has recently purchased F-16s from the United States, that a deal the United States likes very much. The president of Poland will be here at the White House in a short time. His government already has committed to offering any assistance it could to the United States if there is a military confrontation with Iraq. So waiting to hear from the inspectors. And at the same time, Mr. Bush actively continuing coalition building -- Leon.
HARRIS: Thanks, John. John King 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 January 14, 2003 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Up first this hour, the view from the White House. A news briefing is set to get underway later on this hour, and we could learn more about the two issues that are dominating the president's agenda -- North Korea and Iraq.
CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King is standing by at his post at the executive mansion. Let's go to him to get the latest -- morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Leon. Let's start with North Korea. The search for a diplomatic break through continues. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, the president's point man on the Korean peninsula, he is now in Beijing. He was in Seoul, South Korea yesterday. Now in Beijing, China, seeking China's help in trying to broker an end to this standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
Some progress in the sense that China says it would be willing to host any conversations between the U.S. and North Korea. On the one hand, the White House says that is helpful and a positive step and proof that the international community is coming together with resolve to try to end this standoff.
On the other hand, the White House says it would be much more helpful if China used its influence to put pressure on North Korea to deal with the substance of the dispute. The White House says it could meet with the North Koreans in New York, that that channel of communication is already open.
The help it wants most from China and others would be for pressure on the North Korean regime to say it will end its nuclear weapons program, and not only that it will end it. The Bush administration says any agreement must include clearly verifiable steps, detailed verification procedures, so there could be inspections in North Korea, not only in the short term, but in the long term to make sure there was no nuclear weapons program. The administration says there can be no quid pro quo, but it is publicly dangling the prospect of some inducements, including, perhaps, energy aid. Secretary Powell quoted in the "Wall Street Journal" as saying there could be security assurances to the degree the United States would make a commitment to have no hostile intentions toward the North. All this discussion right now, though, no breakthrough in sight. The White House says it is waiting for North Korea to pick up the phone and say it is willing to sit down and talk -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right. How about the talk about Iraq right now, John? Especially with talk coming from U.N. weapons inspector -- chief weapons inspector Hans Blix yesterday about these inspections needing to go on through March, at least. What's the word there at the White House about how this may be complicating the planning?
KING: Well, certainly, there has been speculation for some time that the president faces a decision sometime in the February-March time frame as to whether to use this current escalating military deployment and to make the pivot point from diplomacy and inspections to a military confrontation.
White House officials insist there is no deadline at all, and they will wait for the January 27 report from Hans Blix and his team as to decide what comes next, and whether we are at that critical decision making point.
In the meantime, while awaiting that report on January 27 and assessing the progress, or lack thereof in the White House view sometimes, of the inspectors, the president continuing to work on building what he calls the -- quote -- "coalition of the willing."
The Polish president, Aleksander Kwasniewski, is in town. He was at the Pentagon earlier today, being received there with a full honor guard as he made the rounds over at the Pentagon.
Poland has recently purchased F-16s from the United States, that a deal the United States likes very much. The president of Poland will be here at the White House in a short time. His government already has committed to offering any assistance it could to the United States if there is a military confrontation with Iraq. So waiting to hear from the inspectors. And at the same time, Mr. Bush actively continuing coalition building -- Leon.
HARRIS: Thanks, John. John King 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
