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South Korean Military Drill Imminent as North Warns of Military Retaliation; American Tourist Killed in Israel
Aired December 19, 2010 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
Breaking news in the Korean Peninsula. That unstable region is at war's door. South Korea has promised to begin military drills at any time, and North Korea has warned it will retaliate if they do. The UN Security Council today seemed powerless to stop it. Nearly 30,000 American forces are permanently based there and could become involved in a conflict between the two countries.
And just a short time ago, South Korean residents of islands near North Korea were told to take cover. The live-fire drills are not the danger. It's the promise of military retaliation from North Korea that has the entire region on pins and needles. North Korea says the drills are, quote, "designed to ignite war at any cost."
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula had been growing since March when a South Korean warship sunk by a North Korean torpedo. North Korea denies the attack, and just last month North Korea artillery fired a deadly barrage on to the island of Yeonpyeong, killing four people. In neither instance did South Korea retaliate.
And CNN has reporters in key locations on this story. Our Wolf Blitzer is in North Korea with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Kyung Lah is in Seoul, South Korea. Also reports from the United Nations where diplomats failed to reach consensus on a unified statement on the issue. And from our Washington bureau, what is playing out inside the White House and the Pentagon on this stalemate?
We have the story covered for you, so let's go right now to CNN's Kyung Lah. She is in Seoul, South Korea, where it is now Monday noon, on Monday.
So, Kyung, the order to take cover sounds very ominous. What's the mood in Seoul right now?
KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, concerns are very high because there is a big question mark -- what is the North Korean response going to be? What we know for certain is that South Korea's ministry of defense just a short time ago telling CNN that they will start live-fire naval drills. That window of start time to begin in about an hour from now, and it could happen at any point during this afternoon. But the window to start those live-fire drills begins in just about an hour.
Now, as you mentioned, residents of five islands that border South Korea and North Korea have been told to take cover. There are up to 8,000 people who live on these islands. The cover that they are heading to are underground bunkers being prepared by the military, but some residents say they are not going to take any chances. We caught up with some taking the very last ferry off the island.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAH (voice over): Carrying what they can, Yeonpyeong villagers head to what they believe is the last ferry off the island. Plagued by by armed military personnel, evacuees boarded, carrying children and helping the elderly.
KIM OK JIN, YEONPYEONG EVACUEE: (speaking in a foreign language)
LAH (voice over): I'm leaving because they said the drills are tomorrow, says 66-year-old Kim Ok Jin. She does not want to leave.
KIM: (speaking in a foreign language)
LAH (voice over): Of course, I'm angry, she tells me, but that's not going to change anything.
(on camera): The residents who are evacuating Yeonpyeong Island on this ferry haven't left just once. This is the second time that they are evacuating. The difference now? At least they have warning.
(voice over): Nearly a month ago, there was none before North Korean artillery shells landed in a stunning attack on the village, killing two civilians and two South Korean marines.
The village today? Silent. Few signs of life except for military trucks patrolling and waiting.
Not everyone is leaving.
SONG YOUNG OK, YEONPYEONG RESIDENT: (speaking in a foreign language)
Song Young Ok hasn't been told to stop selling ferry tickets off the island or when the military drills will be. She will stay behind, she says. For her and the several dozen others still here, these bunkers are where the military says she can find cover. Song wonders why it has to be this way.
SONG: (speaking in a foreign language)
LAH (voice over): If we carry out the drills, she says, North Korea has said it will retaliate even more strongly. Going ahead with the drills knowing this is pretty much picking a fight with them.
As the ferry steams to the Korean Peninsula, these elderly neighbors reflect on their divided homeland and the cost of a war that never truly ended.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (speaking in a foreign language)
LAH: It's OK says this 83-year-old Li Chan Yeow (ph), on the damage to her community and the pain of evacuating. The soldiers need to do them, right?
The ferry now back. The islanders on the mainland and the family awaits.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (speaking in a foreign language)
LAH: Take care, says Li, take care.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAH: And when these drills begin, South Korea's ministry of defense says that they are fully expecting some sort of response from North Korea. But what exactly that response is, Don? At this point, they simply don't know but they say they are preparing for one.
LEMON: All right, Kyung Lah, I want you to stand by because we may come back to you.
We're going to go now to CNN's Wolf Blitzer. We're going to go to North Korea. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is in Pyongyang right now at the invitation of North Korea. Although he's not there in any official U.S. role, he spent the past several days trying to diffuse the situation. And our Wolf Blitzer is the only TV journalist traveling with the governor. He joins us now live by phone with exclusive coverage from inside North Korea.
Wolf, what are you seeing and hearing there?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, the governor just wrapped up a very important meeting with the vice president of North Korea, Kim Yong De. It was over at the People's Assembly. I was there and I watched him go in there. It was a large North Korean delegation. He followed that up with a private meeting with the vice minister in charge of foreign affairs for the United States, Ri Yong Ho.
And I don't know what was resolved, although Richardson briefly suggested that he was encouraged. I don't know what that means. I don't know what the North Koreans are saying, but he seemed to suggest that he got some -- at least initially positive responses to some of the proposals he's been making to ease this crisis.
He's been working here for four, five days now to try to get this thing under control. He says it's a tinderbox, as you know, Don, and it's a very sensitive situation. He's getting ready to leave here in about four or five hours to fly back to Beijing and then go back to the United States.
And so, you know, there is not a whole lot of time left but they did welcome him in North Korea. He met with the top military leadership, the top foreign ministry leadership and he culminated all of that today with his lengthy meeting with the vice president of North Korea.
So, we'll see. I suspect in the next couple of hours we'll have a better sense. I know that there is some disappointment. I'm sure Richardson is disappointed that the United Nations Security Council failed to issue a statement, pass a resolution. He was hoping that something would come forward that might give the South Koreans some political cover to delay the start of their exercises. They were supposed to start over the weekend but bad weather forced them to delay at least until Monday. It's now Monday afternoon here on the Korean Peninsula, so we'll see what happens.
The North Koreans have been making it abundantly clear to everyone, including me, that if the South Koreans engage in this live-fire exercise at this Yeonpyeong island, which the North Koreans attacked back on November 23rd, the North Korean military will respond, even if the South Koreans fire their shells southerly and in a southerly direction into the waters, because the North Koreans claim those are sovereign North Korean waters, and it will be their responsibility to respond.
So as you can see it's a -- it's a tinderbox right now. Let's just hope things calm down, but it's not looking very good.
LEMON: Hey, Wolf, stand by. We're going to go back now to Kyung Lah because we want to talk about the weather there.
It had been said, Kyung, and you touched on this a little bit earlier that these drills may have been postponed because of the weather. What's the situation like there now? It looks to be a bit hazy behind you, and have you heard anything about the delay?
LAH: It is hazy here in Seoul. But remember, the islands are about two hours away via ferry on the water. Now, the weather is slightly different out there, and from what we understand visibility near those islands is clear enough that these naval drills can take place. Now they are shifting that start time. I mentioned that in about an hour from now is when we expect that window for the start of these live- fire drills to open.
And the reason why they are keeping it open is because there is that risk that the weather may cancel the live-fire drills. From what we understand though, the Ministry of Defense does feel fairly confident that the weather will clear up and that they will be able to start these drills as expected sometime this afternoon -- Don.
LEMON: OK.
Wolf Blitzer, listen. You said something earlier that I thought was very important. I said why should people in this country who are watching tonight at 10:00 Eastern on a Sunday night getting tuned in to what's going to be happening tomorrow as they head back to work, I said why should they be concerned about this. And you mentioned just how dangerous this region is, if not the most dangerous region on earth right now.
BLITZER: I think it's fair to say this is the most dangerous spot on earth right now, the Korean Peninsula. Let's set the scene, Don, for our viewers.
There are a million North Korean troops along the demilitarized zone. Hundreds of thousands of South Korean troops eyeball to eyeball on the South Korean side. Also on the South Korean side, nearly 30,000 U.S. troops are based there. The amount of artillery and missiles on both sides is enormous. If the situation starts going, it would be hugely dangerous, huge catastrophe. And on top of all of that, let's not forget the North Koreans have nuclear weapons as well.
So, it's an alarming situation. Everybody appreciates that, and sometimes even, you know, small incident could cause a major confrontation which everyone wants to avoid. Richardson is doing his best to try to get some sort of conciliatory message coming out of North Korea. I'm told he's made some progress. I don't know what it is. Hopefully, we'll find out soon.
But I think that clock is ticking. If the South Koreans begin this exercise, the North Koreans saying it's up to the North Korean military then to respond because they claim their territorial sovereignty, those international disputed waters are theirs, and they will have no choice. Let's see if things calm down, but it is incredibly dangerous right now.
LEMON: All right, Wolf, stand by, because I want this to help us make even more sense out of this very tense situation. So, let's bring in one of the world's foremost experts on North Korea. I'm talking about Mike Chinoy. He's a diehard journalist who spent many years as CNN's senior Asia correspondent. He's been to North Korea more than a dozen times, I believe more like 14 times. Mike is now the senior fellow at the U.S.-China Institute at the University of Southern California , also the author of the book called "Meltdown: The Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis." He joins us via Skype from Los Angeles right now.
Make sense of what is happening for us, Mike.
MIKE CHINOY, SENIOR FELLOW, US-CHINA INSTITUTE AT USC: I think Wolf Blitzer is absolutely right. This is a very, very dangerous situation. The South Korean government is feeling under tremendous pressure to show North Korea that it won't tolerate any further what it sees as provocative acts from North Korea, to show the North and the rest of the world that it is tough.
And the context for this, there are a couple of important points to bear in mind. The first is that the current South Korean government, which took power under President Lee Myung Bak in 2008, reversed decades worth of engagement with North Korea pursued by his two predecessors, and instead took a much tougher line.
And it's in that context that you had this dynamic, the tensions particularly over the disputed waters off the western coast of Korea, which have been around since the Korean War, in which they flared up and there was a series of clashes.
The South hit a North Korean ship and inflicted damage in November of last year. The North retaliated by sinking the South Korean -- South Korean navy vessel in March and killed 46 South Korean sailors and then the South staged these exercises in November, which the North objected to and responded by shelling Yeonpyeong Island. So now -- and in neither case did the South Korean military really respond, so now the South Koreans are trying to signal the North, no more of this, we're tougher than you. We're going to do this and we're ready to strike back if you hit out.
For their part, the North Koreans are in a very delicate moment. Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader, is ailing and is trying to pass on the mantle of leadership to his son and heir, Kim Jong-un. So, they are feeling very sensitive and they -- when you go to North Korea and I've been 14 times, everything is the opposite of what it seems when you're not in North Korea.
When you're there, they feel beleaguered, they feel under threat, and their reaction is to lash out. And if they say they are going to do something, I would take them at their word and the danger is, if the South Koreans go ahead and the North Koreans respond and the South Koreans retaliate, then you get a cycle of escalation that could be very hard to control.
LEMON: Yes, and Mike, we have video of you. You said some 14 times there in North Korea that you have been. I want you to tell me if you believe that we are headed here between the North and the South, an all-out war, and then take us behind the scenes and the place -- in places where not many Americans, most Americans won't ever go and a lot of journalists don't get to go as well.
CHINOY: The reality is that it's clearly not in North Korea's interest to have an all-out war because there is no question, in an all-out war facing a modern, sophisticated South Korean military and an American military, that they'd lose.
And it's clearly not in South Korea's interest to have an all-out war either because South Korea is one of the most modern, dynamic economies in the world and that would cause devastating damage.
And it's also clearly not in the interest of anyone else to have a war. What you have here is a situation where both sides are playing brinksmanship, and the North Koreans have a long history of going further towards the brink than anyone else and calculating that everyone else will not take those risky steps and back off.
So I think the danger of a clash is very real. I'm really not sure yet whether or not there is the political will and skill on -- among all the parties involved, the North, the South, the Chinese, the Americans, others, to manage any clash and keep it within bounds.
I think that's what makes it so dangerous, because the North does have a very powerful military despite its disastrous economic situation. They could inflict tremendous damage on South Korea. They could put thousands of artillery shells into the South Korean capital Seoul in a matter of minutes, if it came to that. The hope is that if -- whatever happens now unfolds, both sides will pull back from the brink. The danger is both sides have locked themselves into a situation where that may be hard to do.
LEMON: All right, Mike Chinoy, thanks. Wolf Blitzer, a quick question for you before I get to break here. Does this mean anything for your travel and for Governor Richardson's travel back to the U.S. in the next few days?
BLITZER: As of right now, we're scheduled to fly from Pyongyang to Beijing in about four, five hours from now. So unless, you know, God -- you know, God knows, all hell breaks loose and they shut down the airport or something, we're out of here. They are not asking us to stay any longer or anything like that. So we'll see what happens, but we're supposed to be on this flight in about four, five hours from now. And presumably, if things remain relatively quiet, that flight will take off.
LEMON: All right. It's expected to start within an hour unless there's a delay. Our Wolf Blitzer in Pyongyang. Mike Chinoy joining us from Los Angeles. And, of course, thanks to Kyung Lah, who's joining us from Seoul, South Korea as well. We will be checking back with them if the situation warrants it in this broadcast.
In the meantime, the United Nations Security Council today spent eight hours discussing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but members were unable to reach a consensus. We'll go live to our CNN's senior UN correspondent Richard Roth. That's at the bottom of the hour here on CNN.
There's also other news to report to you tonight. A mystery unfolding in Israel. Police are investigating the death of an American tourist. Was she the victim of a terror attack? CNN will investigate.
I'm online, and you are, too. I'm getting your tweets and your messages about North and South Korea. Make sure you check us out. Our social media accounts. Let's connect.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We're following the breaking news in South Korea, but other stories tonight. An American tourist killed while vacationing in Israel. Now investigators want to know was it terrorism-related? CNN's Paula Hancocks has more for us from Jerusalem.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A murder inquiry is under way here in Israel after the body of a female American tourist was discovered just outside Jerusalem this Sunday morning.
The search for this woman had started on Saturday after a second woman had reached a picnic area in a forest in Bet Shemesh just west of Jerusalem. She had stab wounds, and she also had her hands tied. She said that her and her friend have been hiking in this area, and they have been attacked by two men. They were tied up and then they were stabbed. The woman said that she had pretended to be dead so that she could then run away and raise the alarm.
Now she's currently in hospital. We understand her condition is stable. She's a British citizen who has been living here in Israel. Now, according to Israeli police, the deceased woman has been named as Christine Logan, an American, and the British woman named as Kaye Susan Wilson.
Now, Israeli media say that the attackers were Arab and that the police have not yet ruled out the possibility that this was a terrorist attack, but the police basically do not know the motivation behind this attack at this point, and no word on whether anyone has been arrested.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Jerusalem.
LEMON: All right, Paula.
Still ahead here on CNN, a massive pipeline explosion in Mexico. Dozens of people are dead, dozens more injured, and more than 30 homes destroyed. What caused that blast?
Plus, a winter storm is really slamming the West Coast right now. Some mountain areas could get up to 10 feet of snow, while others are battling ice and severe floods.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Our breaking news tonight, clearly the Korean Peninsula on the verge of war. We will take you to the United Nations coming up here on CNN.
In the meantime, there are other stories that are also on the radar. Police in the former Soviet Republic of Belarus have arrested hundreds of demonstrators, protesting today's presidential election. Exit polls show the incumbent president being easily being re-elected. He was once described by former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice as the last dictator in Europe.
At least 27 people were killed and 52 injured today in a huge oil pipeline explosion in central Mexico. Officials say it appears the explosion was caused by somebody trying to steal oil from the pipeline. It is a growing problem in Mexico, especially since Mexican drug cartels have stepped in. At least 32 houses were destroyed and dozens more were damaged.
The West Coast is getting pounded by massive storms. There's snow in the higher elevations, torrential rains elsewhere, all accompanied by howling winds. A blizzard warning has been issued for the northern Sierra Nevadas. Up to 10 feet of snow is possible and up to 18 inches of rain could trigger flash floods and mud slides in the Central Valley in southern California. Not a good day to be on the West Coast.
Less than one week till Christmas, and if you've got any kids in your life, you know that dealing with their oversized wish lists can be really overwhelming. In tonight's edition of "Mastering your Money," Christine Romans tells us how to do it.
Christine?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You really have to manage their expectations and your budget, so how do you do that without seeming like a grinch?
Ask your kids to narrow down their wish list to three to five items. No more than five. Or think about giving them a dollar amount that they can't go over. Our friend Janet Bodnear from Kiplingers and the author of "Money-Smart Kids," she says it helps kids make choices and learn about budgeting.
Also be up front about cutting back f there's a toy you can't afford right now. Don't scare your kids with all the details of your financial troubles, but be upfront if they are not going to get a toy they want.
While you might be feeling inclined to fill up the tree, lots of presents, remember the grandparents, aunts, uncles, family, friends, they tend to love your kids and spoil them with presents. So, it's not just what you're giving them.
And don't let Santa throw a wrench in the budget. When it comes to little kiddies, let them know that you and Santa are a team, that he's got to check with you before he brings anything that might be too pricey or not suitable for your child's age.
Sarah Humphreys from "Real Simple" magazine suggests perhaps a bigger present for the entire family to enjoy like a Blu-Ray player or a movie night or maybe an ice cream maker, something that all do together.
But listen, no matter how many presents your kids are going to get this year, it's the perfect time to teach them it's always better to give than to receive. Remember that. Have your child donate an old toy or buy a gift with their own money and deliver it to a shelter, a children's hospital or a charity.
LEMON: All right, Christine, good advice. Thank you very much.
We're continuing to follow developments out of South Korea. In just hours South Korea says it will begin military drills, and North Korea is threatening to retaliate. We'll have the very latest for you coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Welcome back, everyone. We want to tell you we're following a tense situation on the Korean Peninsula tonight where South Korea is gearing up to go ahead with its planned live-fire military exercises. North Korea has warned that if the exercises do take place, it will retaliate. Right now, villagers on several border islands are being told to take cover and get into bunkers.
Joining us now in Washington is our senior State Department producer Elise Labott.
Elise, good evening to you.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Hi, Don.
LEMON: What happens if North Korea does retaliate?
LABOTT: Well, no one knows right now, Don, what the North Koreans will do. Of course, they are very unpredictable and the U.S. and South Korea, they are predicting some kind of response from North Korea, and the U.S. is obligated and said it will stand by South Korea as defense treaties obligate.
And the U.S. is saying North Korea is responsible for these provocations, and South Korea has this right to undertake these exercises as part of it is self-defense, but there are two schools of thoughts here, Don. On the one hand, South Korea has a right to these exercises, and to stop them, to let a North Korean intimidate them is going to send the wrong message that it's belligerent behavior.
It's working, and that they're going to be rewarded for bad behavior, but, on the other hand, there is a real concern right now that North Korea will retaliate and that the south will be forced to respond. You know, Don, South Korea has enormous exercise, enormous restraint over the last several months with the sinking of this submarine earlier this year, and then with the shelling of this island last month.
And what the U.S. is concerned about is that the South Korean government has been badly shaken. It's lost a lot of public support, and as Mike Chenoy said, there concern that there'll be some provocation North Korea will respond, and South Korea will be forced to retaliate. There's been a lot of hand-holding of South Korea right now, Don.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: As we understand, and as I understand it that China was the sticking point, if not, the biggest sticking point today in reaching an agreement with the U.N. on some condemnation letter or condemnation agreement. What is China's role in all of this?
LABOTT: Well, China plays a key role, Don, because it has the most influence over North Korea, the closest relationship. It gives North Korea a lot of aid, and we've seen a lot of Chinese officials and North Korean officials meeting over the last several months. The U.S. has been putting enormous pressure on China to put pressure on North Korea to cut out its antics, to cut out its belligerent behavior and take steps to move back towards the international community.
And China has really been resistant to even criticize North Korea as we've seen at the U.N. to put any pressure on North Korea at all, and the U.S. has been very critical about China's role. We had a U.S. delegation out there last week. The deputy secretary of state and other U.S. officials trying to put pressure on China saying North Korea is destabilizing your region. You really need to get on board. We'll see what China will do at the U.N. tomorrow, Don.
LEMON: Elisa Labott, our senior state department producer, we appreciate it this evening.
And as can you imagine, the Pentagon is watching the situation very closely. I spoke with our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, just a short time ago, and I asked her what this means for the U.S. military.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Clearly, the U.S. military hopes very strongly that there is no escalation of hostilities, there is no exchange of fire. The U.S. military would like to not be involved in any of this and not have any reason to be involved. So, their goal has been to talk to the South Koreans and say, yes, you have the right to exercise, but let's not have anything spin out of control and work the diplomatic side, the international diplomatic community with the North Koreans for the very same reason.
What they talk about is that notion of military miscalculation. If something got started, what could happen, it could be a nightmare scenario, and nobody wants to see that, and nobody wants anything to start here.
LEMON: And certainly with almost 30,000 troops in that area, it's a definite possibility if this does ratchet up that the U.S. and troops there could become involved in this.
STARR: It is a possibility. It's the last course of action that the U.S. wants to see. And actually, it's pretty interesting. Over the last several years, the South Koreans and the South Korean military has taken on more and more responsibility for their national self- defense. There is that unshakeable U.S. commitment to defend South Korea, but the South Koreans have really tried to take on a lot of responsibility.
They are the power now at the DMZ, not the United States, on the southern side of the DMZ. So, they've really tried to take on more and more in recent years. The U.S. is there. There's plenty of U.S. backup military power in the region if it came to that, but, again, that's what they're really hoping it doesn't come to, Don.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Barbara Starr in Washington tonight. Thank you, Barbara.
A lot of discussion but no definitive agreement. That's the bottom line after U.S. ambassador Susan Rice and other members of the U.N. security council spent much of the day in emergency session discussing much of the precarious situation on the Korean Peninsula. Let's get more now from CNN senior United Nations correspondent, Richard Roth. Richard, a lot of talk there at the U.N., but no agreement.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: That's happened before, and when it comes to North Korea and that issue, it will probably happen again. According to one western diplomat, the missing link is China in all this. China standing up for North Korea and not going along with any statement that would have condemned North Korea.
It was the Russians that asked and demanded this meeting. They wanted it even Saturday. Following the eight-hour session, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said Russia would have liked to have an envoy from the U.N., go to the peninsula to try to diffuse tensions and have a statement that would have at least urged common restraint.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VITALY CHURKIN, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: I like to say that this meeting of the council will have an impact on the situation, and before too long, we may find out in a most dramatic way, you know in, less dramatic way, whether or not this impact has been sufficient. I wish it could be more of an impact with the press statement of the president of the council.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: The U.S. ambassador, Susan Rice, who happens to be the president of the Security Council for this month, said that it really wouldn't be productive to have a statement that just asked for calm without condemning North Korea for all of the troubles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN RICE, U.S. AMBSADDOR TO THE U.N.: I think it's unlikely that the gap will be bridged based on what I heard over the last eight hours where the vast majority of the council was insisting on a clear cut condemnation of the November 23rd attack by DPRK on the ROK or willing to accept language to that effect, but there was not unanimity on that point.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: The Security Council may discuss this issue further on Monday, but unless there are significant changes in positions by key players, especially China, it's unlikely there would be any security council statement before any live testing drills by South Korea or any retaliation by North Korea -- Don.
LEMON: Senior United Nations correspondent, Richard Roth. Thank you, Richard.
More Americans are going to travel for Christmas, and if you plan on buying everything in the song "12 Days of Christmas," well, you may be in for some sticker shock, to say the least. "Getting Down to Business" straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Welcome back, everyone. Breaking news in the Korean Peninsula tonight. North Korea and South Korea could be on the brink of war. The North has threatened military retaliation if the south goes forward with live naval drills. Those drills are expected to begin any time, perhaps, within an hour. South Koreans on islands near North Korea have been told to take cover.
The U.N. Security Council spent most of today in an emergency session but ended the meeting without a consensus on what to say about the impending crisis.
In other news tonight, with global impact, Senate Republicans are intensifying their efforts to postpone a vote on the new arms control treaty with Russia, but Democrats want to vote before the lame duck Congress dissolves. And tonight, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filled what's called a cloture motion, a procedural step required to set up a Senate vote. Our Kate Bolduan has more on that back and forth.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, President Obama calls the new START Treaty, an urgent national priority and getting Congress to sign off on it is his big final priority this lame duck session. That said the Senate top Republican, Mitch McConnell, came out for the first time today to voice his opposition to the agreement. He did that on CNN's "State of the Union" with Candy Crowley.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITCH MCCONNELL, (R) KENTUCKY: I've decided I cannot support the treaty. I think the verification provisions are inadequate, and I do worry about the missile defense implications of it. I know the members of the Foreign Relations Committee spent a lot of time on this, but the rest of us haven't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: While McConnell's opposition is not entirely surprising, it is important because Democrats need Republican's support to get the 2/3 majority to ratify the treaty. The treaty and essence would resume neutral inspections of nuclear arsenals in both countries as well as limit the number of warheads for both countries. This is a key form policy measure for this White House, and so, the White House is fighting back against Republican criticism saying that Congress has had plenty of time to debate and consider and need to move ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There've been 18 hearings. 1,000 questions we've answered, and -- but in others. They just simply are against any arms control agreement. That's the category, and when I say any, simply against this arms control. Senator DeMint is absolutely four square against it. It wouldn't matter what it said.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Still Vice President Biden as well as key lawmakers on both sides of the aisle believe they have enough votes to get the treaty ratified. However, the big question remains, when will it come up for a final vote? That remains unclear -- Don.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, Kate. The START Treaty will need at least ten Republican votes to be ratified, and that number will climb higher once the new Congress is seated in January.
In a sign of at least a slightly improved economy, more Americans are hitting the road for the holidays this year, and others are out looking for a new home. CNN's Stephanie Elam explains in this week's "Getting Down to Business."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More Americans are packing up this holiday season. About 3 percent more Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home compared to last year. AAA says a modestly improved economic environment is prompting 92 million people to travel for the holidays. While some Americans are getting out of the house, others are looking for a home.
A survey from Fannie Mae found 51 percent of people regardless of the housing bust say they are just as likely to buy a home. Another 27 percent said they are actually more likely to buy. We'll get the latest numbers on home sales mid-week.
And if you're in the market for five golden rings, a couple of turtle doves. and a few more things, it's going to cost you. This year, the price of everything in the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" from a partridge in a pear tree to 12 drummers drumming, has gone up 10.8 percent since last year. The total tab is now more than $96,000. That's this week's "Getting Down to Business."
Stephanie Elam, CNN, New York.
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LEMON: Pet owners beware. Kroger is recalling select packages of pet food from stores in 19 states because they could make your pet sick. We'll tell you which products are on that list.
And it's something most of us don't even think about. What would you do if you saw a police officer being attacked on the side of the road? Well, you'll meet a woman who didn't hesitate to jump into action while others just stood by.
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LEMON: North and South Korea on the brink. Tonight, long-standing tensions between the two neighbors threaten to spill out of control. South Korea says it's going ahead with the live-fire military exercise. The north says the move will ignite war at any cost. Let's turn to Gordon Chang for more perspective. He is a columnist for Forbes.com, a Korea expert and a frequent visitor on this show. Good evening to you, Mr. Chang. Are we headed for a serious conflict here?
GORDON CHANG, COLUMNIST, FORBES.COM: Well, we could be because, at this point, we can't really rule anything out, and no scenario is impossible. I actually don't think we're going to have war at this time, because the North Koreans, they will retaliate, but they might not retaliate now. Their pattern really has been to retaliate in the future when the South Koreans are not up on their guard. So, I think that we will see something, just not in the next few days.
LEMON: Someone sent a note to me, Mr. Chang, earlier saying, Don, am I going to go to bed and wake up to war?
CHANG: Well, that is possible because the South Koreans will go ahead with their live fire exercises, and the North Koreans will retaliate. And the North Koreans have been very clear. They said that if there's a war, it's going to be nuclear, and it's not going to be limited to the Korean Peninsula. So, we can't sort of just say, well, this is just a Korean Peninsula matter, and we can't even say that this is just an Asia matter. This could involve a lot more players than we would ordinarily think.
LEMON: Meaning for the United States and people here at home watching?
CHANG: Yes. I mean, we could easily become involved because we got 28,500 troops on the Korean Peninsula, and we have an obligation to defend our allies, not only South Korea but also Japan. And then, of course, you have China which came to North Korea's rescue the last time there was a general conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
And we really can't rule that out right now, especially given the remilitarization of Chinese politics and the increasing cloud of the military in Pyongyang.
LEMON: The scale of such a conflict, what type of war? How would you classify a war if this does happen?
CHANG: Well, if there is a war, it's going to be something much bigger than we have seen in recent years. You know, we're getting used to seeing casualty reports of ten people a day, but if there were general conflict on the Korean Peninsula, we're talking about hundreds of thousands of casualties a day, and we could be talking of death tolls that reach a million or more. So
So, this is really a very serious matter given the armaments on both sides and considering how this is a situation where we don't really control the South Koreans, and the Chinese maybe don't control the North Koreans.
LEMON: OK. For this region, you're saying this is much bigger than just an Asian war. I don't want to put words in your mouth. It sounds like the amount of casualties you're talking about, a scale of a World War III.
CHANG: Yes. I mean, we could easily be talking about something like that. It's just that it's always not probable but the point is that all of the elements of a general conflict on the Korean Peninsula are in place. And whether it actually happens or not really depends upon factors that are beyond our control at this point. So, essentially, we have an extremely volatile situation, and we have all the big trends going in the wrong direction at this moment.
LEMON: Is there a game plan on the diplomatic side?
CHANG: Well, there might be, but it's not going to work, because as we saw today at the Security Council, China is going to block any sort of diplomacy that is effective with regard to North Korea. China made it very clear that there's going to be no -- no Security Council resolution, and even though Security Council presidential statement, and, unfortunately, China and North Korea have been getting much closer over the last year. So, we had a situation where if diplomacy works, it's diplomacy that we have with Japan and South Korea, not diplomacy that we have with China.
LEMON: Gordon Chang, appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
CHANG: Thank you.
LEMON: Want to check our top stories right now on CNN.
The U.N. Security Council met for eight hours today to discuss the tensions on the North Korean peninsula, but the 15 council members could not agree on a unified statement. U.S. ambassador, Susan Rice, told reporters that members could not bridge their differences over North Korea's recent shelling of an island in South Korean territory.
President Barack Obama is set to sign the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" this week. The Senate passed a landmark bill yesterday clearing the way for gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. However, it will be months before the repeal goes into effect. So, for now, gay service members are advised not to do anything.
Korger is recalling pet food from stores in 19 states because some of its products may contain a chemical harmful to animals. The recall includes pet pride cat food, pet pride kitten food, old yeller chunk dog food, kroger value cat food and Kroger value chunk food. It includes states in the south and Midwest. Kroger is urging customers to consult their vet if their animals show any signs of sluggishness or a reluctance to eat.
Gas prices in the U.S. jump more than seven cents a gallon over the last two weeks to just under $3 a gallon. Compared to a year ago, drivers are paying about 39 cents a gallon more at the pump. The Lundberg Survey shows the highest average price was in San Francisco, the lowest in Denver, Colorado.
Tonight's "What Matters." Well, we have a question for you. What would you do if you saw police officers struggling with a suspect along the roadside. Angela Pierce knows what she would do. Look at this video. She saw an officer in trouble, and she got involved. Jumping out of her car and coming to his aid last Saturday night in Dayton, Ohio. I asked her why she got involved and why other people sometimes won't.
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LEMON: Can you understand why people don't help when they're presented with situations like you?
ANGELA PIERCE, HELPED POLICE OFFICER SUBDUE SUSPECT: Yes, because they don't know what the person is going to do or what they got, because I didn't know what he had. I didn't know what the police was going to do. I just reacted because I heard him hollering for help.
LEMON: What was the ultimate outcome? Did you ever se this guy again? PIERCE: No.
LEMON: And what happened with him? How did it all end?
PIERCE: He went to jail, and they let me leave. I went on about my way for that night.
LEMON: Did you hear from the police department again?
PIERCE: No, I actually didn't think he was going to make the news because didn't hear from him for two days, and then, on Monday, following Monday, that's when they were calling me.
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LEMON: She's a courageous person. Angela told me when she first saw the officer under attack, she didn't have time to think, she just decided to act.
What is the word or phrase that annoys you the most, like, you know, what I'm saying, actually? A new poll has the final word for you.
And how much did your Christmas tree cost? How about $11 million. That's how much this tree would set you back. We'll show you what's on it that makes these branches so expensive. Unbelievable.
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LEMON: Our breaking news tonight, the conflict on the Korean Peninsula. Let's go to CNN's Wolf Blitzer who is in North Korea tonight with new information on the breaking news -- Wolf.
VOICE OF WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, I just spoke to Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico who's been here for the last five days. He's just wrapped up his meetings with what he says is some modest progress, some positive steps from the North Koreans. He says designed to ease this crisis somewhat. Among the steps that the North Koreans have apparently agreed to, according to Richardson, they will now, in fact, consider his proposal to create this U.S./South Korea/North Korea Military Commission and this new North Korea/South Korea military hotline.
Number two, they will allow International Atomic Energy Agency personnel, IAEA personnel, to come back to the Yongbyon nuclear facility in North Korea facility to make sure that there's no more enrichment of uranium to weapons grade quality, the kind of quality that's used to make a bomb. And third, they've agreed to the purchase, to the sale, if you will, of 12,000 fresh fuel rods to South Korea.
These are the fuel rods that potentially could make as many as six to eight additional nuclear weapons. So, these are three steps that they've agreed to. Richardson says he strongly urged the North Koreans not to take any aggressive steps in the face of the South Korean expected artillery exercise. He didn't get a hard commitment from them on what they would do, but they did agree to what he calls these three steps which may send a signal that the North Koreans may be anxious to ease the crisis somewhat.
So, it's sort of a mixed bag. Right now, there are some specific agreements, but there's a lot more work that needs to be done -- Don.
LEMON: All right. Our Wolf Blitzer tonight in Pyongyang. Wolf, thank you very much for your reporting. Make sure you tune to CNN throughout the evening for coverage of what's happening on the Korean Peninsula.
If there are any developments, we will break in, plus our international unit. CNN international will take over from here. And make sure you join CNN's "American Morning" 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time starting tomorrow. I'm Don Lemon at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta. See you back here next weekend. CNN is covering the situation again in the Korea's overnight what any breaking news coverage on this story. So, make sure you stay tune. Goodnight.
