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CNN Live At Daybreak
North Korea Will Allow Weapons Inspectors to Tour Its Nuclear Facility
Aired January 02, 2004 - 06:29 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: Is it a possible breakthrough or merely a ploy? We have word this morning that North Korea will allow U.S. weapons inspectors to tour its nuclear facility. But back to that big question -- why?
CNN senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy, who is on assignment in Islamabad -- but he's covered North Korea for many years -- he joins us live on the phone -- why now, Mike?
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the North Koreans have consistently said that they have a nuclear capability and they've also indicated for a long time a willingness to trade that nuclear capability away in return for the right American concessions. And it's very hard, of course, to probe what exactly motivates North Korean decision-making. But there is a certain logic here. If the North Koreans allow this delegation in and show them the site and if the inspectors come away convinced the North Koreans do, indeed, have a nuclear capability, that sort of proves the North's point. And, also, by allowing them to visit this facility, which has been off limits to almost everybody and no foreigners have been there since the international weapons inspectors were kicked out over a year ago.
It may be a signal to the Bush administration that the North would, in fact, open its facilities to meaningful inspection as part of a deal. So it could be designed, on the one hand, to strengthen the North's negotiating position for these upcoming talks, and also to signal what might be possible if a deal can be reached. Very, very interesting to see where this is going to go.
COSTELLO: But, Mike, will North Korea really do this? I mean this country has been known to change its mind before.
CHINOY: Well, that's certainly one of the big questions. And now that the word of the trip has leaked, it will be interesting to see whether it still goes ahead. The North did, under a 1994 nuclear agreement that froze this Yongbyon facility, did allow inspectors in. And there is no question that for a long time, activity at that facility did remain frozen. This current crisis of the last year came about because the U.S. got evidence of a separate nuclear program, not related to Yongbyon.
So the North does have a track record of letting people in when it feels it suits its interests.
Interestingly, this delegation does not have anybody officially from the administration. It's going to be headed by the former director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where U.S. nuclear weapons are built; former State Department officials, but no one from the administration. So it's a private delegation, but clearly the administration has given the OK to test the North Koreans' intentions in this case -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It should be very interesting.
Mike Chinoy reporting live for us from Islamabad on the North Korean crisis.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Nuclear Facility>
Aired January 2, 2004 - 06:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Is it a possible breakthrough or merely a ploy? We have word this morning that North Korea will allow U.S. weapons inspectors to tour its nuclear facility. But back to that big question -- why?
CNN senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy, who is on assignment in Islamabad -- but he's covered North Korea for many years -- he joins us live on the phone -- why now, Mike?
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the North Koreans have consistently said that they have a nuclear capability and they've also indicated for a long time a willingness to trade that nuclear capability away in return for the right American concessions. And it's very hard, of course, to probe what exactly motivates North Korean decision-making. But there is a certain logic here. If the North Koreans allow this delegation in and show them the site and if the inspectors come away convinced the North Koreans do, indeed, have a nuclear capability, that sort of proves the North's point. And, also, by allowing them to visit this facility, which has been off limits to almost everybody and no foreigners have been there since the international weapons inspectors were kicked out over a year ago.
It may be a signal to the Bush administration that the North would, in fact, open its facilities to meaningful inspection as part of a deal. So it could be designed, on the one hand, to strengthen the North's negotiating position for these upcoming talks, and also to signal what might be possible if a deal can be reached. Very, very interesting to see where this is going to go.
COSTELLO: But, Mike, will North Korea really do this? I mean this country has been known to change its mind before.
CHINOY: Well, that's certainly one of the big questions. And now that the word of the trip has leaked, it will be interesting to see whether it still goes ahead. The North did, under a 1994 nuclear agreement that froze this Yongbyon facility, did allow inspectors in. And there is no question that for a long time, activity at that facility did remain frozen. This current crisis of the last year came about because the U.S. got evidence of a separate nuclear program, not related to Yongbyon.
So the North does have a track record of letting people in when it feels it suits its interests.
Interestingly, this delegation does not have anybody officially from the administration. It's going to be headed by the former director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where U.S. nuclear weapons are built; former State Department officials, but no one from the administration. So it's a private delegation, but clearly the administration has given the OK to test the North Koreans' intentions in this case -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It should be very interesting.
Mike Chinoy reporting live for us from Islamabad on the North Korean crisis.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Nuclear Facility>
