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CNN Live At Daybreak

North Korea Nukes: 6-Nation Talks

Aired February 26, 2004 - 05:44   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: There are new developments this morning in those talks over North Korea's nuclear program.
Let's get right to it from our and let's head to our man in Beijing live there now and our senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy.

Good morning, Mike. What's happening?

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning.

The North Koreans have responded. According to the Chinese, who are hosting these talks, the North Koreans called -- have agreed to propose a comprehensive halt to their nuclear activity. There are no details on just what that means, and Russian officials are quoted as saying that the North still wants to maintain a peaceful nuclear program.

But this is the first time now in two days of negotiations that we've gotten word that the North Koreans are willing to even entertain the idea of stopping their nuclear program. The devil, of course, is going to be in the details -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So what is North Korea going to get in return?

CHINOY: The North Koreans have asked for security assurances from the United States and economic aid. Part of the discussions on this day has been focused on a South Korean proposal that in return for agreeing to dismantle its nuclear program that South Korea, possibly with the help of Russia and China, would give North Korea economic aid, especially fuel and energy. The North is desperately short of that. The South Koreans trying to tempt the North Koreans with this.

The U.S. doesn't want to give the North Koreans anything unless Pyongyang makes this commitment to completely give up its nuclear program. But Washington seems willing to let the South Koreans make that proposal separately as part of this diplomatic process -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Mike Chinoy reporting live from Beijing this morning.

We want to talk more about North Korea's nuclear program and the threat it represents. Joining us live on the telephone here in Atlanta, he's snowed in, but he's counterterrorism expert Eric Haney, author of "Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorism Unit." He's also a former command sergeant major with the U.S. Army. Good morning.

SGT. MAJOR ERIC HANEY, (RETIRED): Hey, good morning.

COSTELLO: What do you think of this latest supposed deal with North Korea?

HANEY: You know looking at this in the long term, I honestly believe this is a -- this is just the great dance of negotiation, because North Koreans understand, as do the South Koreans, that the tide of history says the Koreas will unite again. They are one people. They are going to come to that, as did the Germans when the East and West Germany reunited.

COSTELLO: But that seems a long way off at present time.

HANEY: It seems a long way off, but think of what the position on North Korea is if it were thinking in that direction, what do we bring to a negotiating table, our flourishing industry? No, it doesn't exist. Our grand agriculture? No, we're in a constant state of famine. We have no exports. There is no trade with anyone to speak of. But if we come to the table and say we have nuclear weapons, you must treat us as an equal.

COSTELLO: And you know I was just going to ask you that because there is no conclusive proof that North Korea even has a nuclear weapons program, is there?

HANEY: None whatsoever. Well, the program is in the speaking about it and the manufacturing attempts. But the thing is even with that it's still a threat. It upsets the neighbors. It upsets the balance of power. There are those of the dire and gloom say well, they could immediately conquer South Korea, which is not the case anyway because North Korea doesn't have the base for sustainable war at this time.

COSTELLO: But isn't it bizarre that North Korea can sit down and negotiate when it has absolutely no proof to show that it even has a weapons program to negotiate with?

HANEY: It's little different from the man with his hand in his pocket and you see something and he says I have a gun. You have to treat it as a serious threat. And North Korea has shown throughout its history that it's a rogue regime, that it will do crazy things.

COSTELLO: Well on the subject of doing crazy things, the United States really isn't too excited about this latest supposed deal. What do you think the United States will do in the end?

HANEY: In the end what we do is we encourage the neighbors around North Korea. The Chinese are the -- are the big, say, relatives there. They are the ones that have the greatest long-term influence. South Korea also. South Korea is bending over backwards. They don't want to harm the North because those are their own people. Japan also has to live in that neighborhood. So the U.S. is the ones that can sit back and say OK, I'm going to be the tough guy. I'll be the bad cop. I'll take that attention. Now you other people, the ones of you who have to live there, and particularly the Chinese, do what you can in the low key background diplomacy that actually is the thing that gets accomplishment.

COSTELLO: Well we'll see if it works this time. Eric Haney...

HANEY: We certainly hope so.

COSTELLO: Eric Haney, author of "Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorism Unit," joining us live by phone. And you're going to join us again in our 6:00 hour. We appreciate it.

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 February 26, 2004 - 05:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There are new developments this morning in those talks over North Korea's nuclear program.
Let's get right to it from our and let's head to our man in Beijing live there now and our senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy.

Good morning, Mike. What's happening?

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning.

The North Koreans have responded. According to the Chinese, who are hosting these talks, the North Koreans called -- have agreed to propose a comprehensive halt to their nuclear activity. There are no details on just what that means, and Russian officials are quoted as saying that the North still wants to maintain a peaceful nuclear program.

But this is the first time now in two days of negotiations that we've gotten word that the North Koreans are willing to even entertain the idea of stopping their nuclear program. The devil, of course, is going to be in the details -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So what is North Korea going to get in return?

CHINOY: The North Koreans have asked for security assurances from the United States and economic aid. Part of the discussions on this day has been focused on a South Korean proposal that in return for agreeing to dismantle its nuclear program that South Korea, possibly with the help of Russia and China, would give North Korea economic aid, especially fuel and energy. The North is desperately short of that. The South Koreans trying to tempt the North Koreans with this.

The U.S. doesn't want to give the North Koreans anything unless Pyongyang makes this commitment to completely give up its nuclear program. But Washington seems willing to let the South Koreans make that proposal separately as part of this diplomatic process -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Mike Chinoy reporting live from Beijing this morning.

We want to talk more about North Korea's nuclear program and the threat it represents. Joining us live on the telephone here in Atlanta, he's snowed in, but he's counterterrorism expert Eric Haney, author of "Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorism Unit." He's also a former command sergeant major with the U.S. Army. Good morning.

SGT. MAJOR ERIC HANEY, (RETIRED): Hey, good morning.

COSTELLO: What do you think of this latest supposed deal with North Korea?

HANEY: You know looking at this in the long term, I honestly believe this is a -- this is just the great dance of negotiation, because North Koreans understand, as do the South Koreans, that the tide of history says the Koreas will unite again. They are one people. They are going to come to that, as did the Germans when the East and West Germany reunited.

COSTELLO: But that seems a long way off at present time.

HANEY: It seems a long way off, but think of what the position on North Korea is if it were thinking in that direction, what do we bring to a negotiating table, our flourishing industry? No, it doesn't exist. Our grand agriculture? No, we're in a constant state of famine. We have no exports. There is no trade with anyone to speak of. But if we come to the table and say we have nuclear weapons, you must treat us as an equal.

COSTELLO: And you know I was just going to ask you that because there is no conclusive proof that North Korea even has a nuclear weapons program, is there?

HANEY: None whatsoever. Well, the program is in the speaking about it and the manufacturing attempts. But the thing is even with that it's still a threat. It upsets the neighbors. It upsets the balance of power. There are those of the dire and gloom say well, they could immediately conquer South Korea, which is not the case anyway because North Korea doesn't have the base for sustainable war at this time.

COSTELLO: But isn't it bizarre that North Korea can sit down and negotiate when it has absolutely no proof to show that it even has a weapons program to negotiate with?

HANEY: It's little different from the man with his hand in his pocket and you see something and he says I have a gun. You have to treat it as a serious threat. And North Korea has shown throughout its history that it's a rogue regime, that it will do crazy things.

COSTELLO: Well on the subject of doing crazy things, the United States really isn't too excited about this latest supposed deal. What do you think the United States will do in the end?

HANEY: In the end what we do is we encourage the neighbors around North Korea. The Chinese are the -- are the big, say, relatives there. They are the ones that have the greatest long-term influence. South Korea also. South Korea is bending over backwards. They don't want to harm the North because those are their own people. Japan also has to live in that neighborhood. So the U.S. is the ones that can sit back and say OK, I'm going to be the tough guy. I'll be the bad cop. I'll take that attention. Now you other people, the ones of you who have to live there, and particularly the Chinese, do what you can in the low key background diplomacy that actually is the thing that gets accomplishment.

COSTELLO: Well we'll see if it works this time. Eric Haney...

HANEY: We certainly hope so.

COSTELLO: Eric Haney, author of "Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorism Unit," joining us live by phone. And you're going to join us again in our 6:00 hour. We appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com