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CNN Live At Daybreak
U.S. Seeks Halt to North Korea's Nukes Program
Aired August 27, 2003 - 06:02 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: For the United States, what will success mean in talks with North Korea? A dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons program? That's what the United States wants, but it probably will not happen. But the U.S., South Korea and three other countries hope the talks are an important first step.
Live to where the talks are ongoing, the Chinese capital Beijing, and Mike Chinoy.
Hello, Mike.
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well the first day of talks have all of the delegations from the six nations here laying out their positions. The United States and North Korea are very far apart.
Since this crisis erupted about 10 months ago, the North Koreans have admitted to a secret uranium-enrichment program. They've pulled out of the nonproliferation treaty. They've kicked out international inspectors. And in the past few months, they have openly said that they are pursuing what they call a "nuclear deterrent force."
The goal of the Bush administration is to roll all of that back, but at the same time the U.S. says it is not prepared to negotiate directly or to offer any concessions to North Korea unless North Korea makes the first move.
The North Korean media, as these talks began, said that unless the United States was willing to sign a nonaggression treaty, it would not give up that nuclear deterrent.
Nobody expects any breakthroughs from these talks. The mere fact that they haven't broken down yet is considered a good sign, and diplomats say that if the three-day meeting here ends with an agreement at least in principle to continue to talk, that itself will be considered progress Carol.
COSTELLO: Mike Chinoy reporting live from Beijing, China, this morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: For more on the U.S. position at these talks, we've placed a "Wake-Up Call" to our State Department producer, Elise Labott. She's live on the phone from Washington.
Good morning -- Elise.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, what else is Washington prepared to offer North Korea?
LABOTT: Well, as Mike said, they're really not going to offer North Korea any inducements up front, Carol. The feeling is from the U.S. that North Korea has violated these nuclear agreements, these nonproliferation treaties, and shouldn't be paid to finally comply.
But that said, if North Korea agrees to take steps to freeze and eventually dismantle its nuclear program, the U.S. is prepared to support a package of initiatives for North Korea, such as ending the trade embargo, allowing North Korea to secure loans from international monetary institutions. That's part of that bold initiative that the Bush administration has spoke of as part of a new relationship with North Korea.
But right now, the U.S. isn't prepared to offer North Korea, except maybe some assurances that it won't attack. North Korea has been looking for that formal pact. But the U.S. says that it will again restate President Bush's position that the U.S. will not attack the north, and perhaps can capture that in some kind of writing.
But officials are playing down expectations. As Mike said, and as one official said to me is, if North Korea doesnt walk out, we consider it a success, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes.
LABOTT: So, this is expected to be the first of many rounds.
COSTELLO: You know, another country that's causing concerns with its nuclear capability is Iran. An IAEA report is raising questions about Iran. What more can you tell us about that?
LABOTT: Well, that's right. The IAEA inspectors have made several trips in the last six months to Iran to determine if Iran's nuclear program is indeed for electricity, as they say, or for nuclear weapons.
And now, they're working on a report of their findings. We understand that report will say that the IAEA has found trace amounts of uranium on some equipment that is used to make nuclear weapons. Iran says that that must have been contaminated from when it bought it from a third country.
And the IAEA says that's one of the unresolved questions. That Iran has shown some cooperation, more in the past, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
And they'd like Iran to submit to some more intrusive inspections. That's an additional protocol of some nonproliferation agreements that they've signed.
That report will be released on September 8 at the board meeting of the IAEA, and diplomats tell us they don't expect the IAEA to say that North Korea -- excuse me -- Iran is in noncompliance, but it will be kind of a last opportunity, a final warning to submit more cooperation, submit to those intrusive inspections before possibly U.N. action can be taken -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Elise Labott live on the phone from Washington, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK.
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 August 27, 2003 - 06:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: For the United States, what will success mean in talks with North Korea? A dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons program? That's what the United States wants, but it probably will not happen. But the U.S., South Korea and three other countries hope the talks are an important first step.
Live to where the talks are ongoing, the Chinese capital Beijing, and Mike Chinoy.
Hello, Mike.
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well the first day of talks have all of the delegations from the six nations here laying out their positions. The United States and North Korea are very far apart.
Since this crisis erupted about 10 months ago, the North Koreans have admitted to a secret uranium-enrichment program. They've pulled out of the nonproliferation treaty. They've kicked out international inspectors. And in the past few months, they have openly said that they are pursuing what they call a "nuclear deterrent force."
The goal of the Bush administration is to roll all of that back, but at the same time the U.S. says it is not prepared to negotiate directly or to offer any concessions to North Korea unless North Korea makes the first move.
The North Korean media, as these talks began, said that unless the United States was willing to sign a nonaggression treaty, it would not give up that nuclear deterrent.
Nobody expects any breakthroughs from these talks. The mere fact that they haven't broken down yet is considered a good sign, and diplomats say that if the three-day meeting here ends with an agreement at least in principle to continue to talk, that itself will be considered progress Carol.
COSTELLO: Mike Chinoy reporting live from Beijing, China, this morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: For more on the U.S. position at these talks, we've placed a "Wake-Up Call" to our State Department producer, Elise Labott. She's live on the phone from Washington.
Good morning -- Elise.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, what else is Washington prepared to offer North Korea?
LABOTT: Well, as Mike said, they're really not going to offer North Korea any inducements up front, Carol. The feeling is from the U.S. that North Korea has violated these nuclear agreements, these nonproliferation treaties, and shouldn't be paid to finally comply.
But that said, if North Korea agrees to take steps to freeze and eventually dismantle its nuclear program, the U.S. is prepared to support a package of initiatives for North Korea, such as ending the trade embargo, allowing North Korea to secure loans from international monetary institutions. That's part of that bold initiative that the Bush administration has spoke of as part of a new relationship with North Korea.
But right now, the U.S. isn't prepared to offer North Korea, except maybe some assurances that it won't attack. North Korea has been looking for that formal pact. But the U.S. says that it will again restate President Bush's position that the U.S. will not attack the north, and perhaps can capture that in some kind of writing.
But officials are playing down expectations. As Mike said, and as one official said to me is, if North Korea doesnt walk out, we consider it a success, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes.
LABOTT: So, this is expected to be the first of many rounds.
COSTELLO: You know, another country that's causing concerns with its nuclear capability is Iran. An IAEA report is raising questions about Iran. What more can you tell us about that?
LABOTT: Well, that's right. The IAEA inspectors have made several trips in the last six months to Iran to determine if Iran's nuclear program is indeed for electricity, as they say, or for nuclear weapons.
And now, they're working on a report of their findings. We understand that report will say that the IAEA has found trace amounts of uranium on some equipment that is used to make nuclear weapons. Iran says that that must have been contaminated from when it bought it from a third country.
And the IAEA says that's one of the unresolved questions. That Iran has shown some cooperation, more in the past, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
And they'd like Iran to submit to some more intrusive inspections. That's an additional protocol of some nonproliferation agreements that they've signed.
That report will be released on September 8 at the board meeting of the IAEA, and diplomats tell us they don't expect the IAEA to say that North Korea -- excuse me -- Iran is in noncompliance, but it will be kind of a last opportunity, a final warning to submit more cooperation, submit to those intrusive inspections before possibly U.N. action can be taken -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Elise Labott live on the phone from Washington, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
