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CNN Live Saturday
White House Wants to Find Peaceful Resolution to North Korea Crisis
Aired January 18, 2003 - 18:14 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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The administration is not changing its stance on the ever tense situation in North Korea. White House officials say the president is still determined to find a peaceful solution. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly has been in Indonesia for the past two days answering questions about a possible war with Iraq, as well as how the U.S. plans to respond.
Before leaving China, earlier today, Kelly told reporters eliminating nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula will be a slow process. He now goes on to Japan, for more talks there.
And in the meantime, a Russian envoy has arrived in North Korea. Russia's deputy foreign affairs minister intends to propose that economic aid to North Korea resume in exchange for North Korea keeping the Korean Peninsula nuclear free.
But in the middle of all this diplomatic maneuvering, South Korea's president elect threw a curve ball out of left field. And tonight it has got everyone talking.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have no intention of invading North Korea.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Bush has insisted time and time again, the U.S. has no intention of attacking North Korea. But not always so, says South Korea's new leader, Roh Moo-hyun. Saturday on South Korean television he made this dramatic claim.
ROH MOO-HYUN, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA (translator): At the time of the elections some hard-line U.S. officials, who held considerable responsibility in the administration talked about the possibility of attacking North Korea. I then felt so desperate.
MALVEAUX: Roh doesn't give any information about who said what; his comments both baffling White House and State Department officials. In response, the Bush administration released a statement reiterating its position.
"The President has made it clear that the U.S. has no intention of invading North Korea. And he has indicated he wants to find a peaceful resolution to the current situation North Korea has brought upon itself." MALVEAUX: But U.S. military and intelligence officials tell CNN that since North Korea declared it was resuming its nuclear programs in October, the Bush administration has been engaged in prudent planning for military options against North Korea should tensions unexpectedly escalate.
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: You would expect the secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the whole Department of Defense community be working all sorts of contingencies for various situations. And you can be assured that's happening.
MALVEAUX: Sources say plans including sending in U.S. Special Forces to conduct surgical strikes against a limited number of nuclear targets to disable nuclear plants rather than destroy them.
But the Pentagon says, emphatically, it is not preparing for a strike against North Korea. Officials say, in fact, it would be the least desirable option for the U.S., since it is widely expected the North Koreans would retaliate by attacking U.S. soldiers across the Demilitarized Zone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: The Bush administration continues to use diplomacy to put pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly now in Japan to convince its government to encourage North Korea to change course -- Carol.
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Suzanne Malveaux 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
Korea Crisis>
Aired January 18, 2003 - 18:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The administration is not changing its stance on the ever tense situation in North Korea. White House officials say the president is still determined to find a peaceful solution. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly has been in Indonesia for the past two days answering questions about a possible war with Iraq, as well as how the U.S. plans to respond.
Before leaving China, earlier today, Kelly told reporters eliminating nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula will be a slow process. He now goes on to Japan, for more talks there.
And in the meantime, a Russian envoy has arrived in North Korea. Russia's deputy foreign affairs minister intends to propose that economic aid to North Korea resume in exchange for North Korea keeping the Korean Peninsula nuclear free.
But in the middle of all this diplomatic maneuvering, South Korea's president elect threw a curve ball out of left field. And tonight it has got everyone talking.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have no intention of invading North Korea.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Bush has insisted time and time again, the U.S. has no intention of attacking North Korea. But not always so, says South Korea's new leader, Roh Moo-hyun. Saturday on South Korean television he made this dramatic claim.
ROH MOO-HYUN, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA (translator): At the time of the elections some hard-line U.S. officials, who held considerable responsibility in the administration talked about the possibility of attacking North Korea. I then felt so desperate.
MALVEAUX: Roh doesn't give any information about who said what; his comments both baffling White House and State Department officials. In response, the Bush administration released a statement reiterating its position.
"The President has made it clear that the U.S. has no intention of invading North Korea. And he has indicated he wants to find a peaceful resolution to the current situation North Korea has brought upon itself." MALVEAUX: But U.S. military and intelligence officials tell CNN that since North Korea declared it was resuming its nuclear programs in October, the Bush administration has been engaged in prudent planning for military options against North Korea should tensions unexpectedly escalate.
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: You would expect the secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the whole Department of Defense community be working all sorts of contingencies for various situations. And you can be assured that's happening.
MALVEAUX: Sources say plans including sending in U.S. Special Forces to conduct surgical strikes against a limited number of nuclear targets to disable nuclear plants rather than destroy them.
But the Pentagon says, emphatically, it is not preparing for a strike against North Korea. Officials say, in fact, it would be the least desirable option for the U.S., since it is widely expected the North Koreans would retaliate by attacking U.S. soldiers across the Demilitarized Zone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: The Bush administration continues to use diplomacy to put pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly now in Japan to convince its government to encourage North Korea to change course -- Carol.
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Suzanne Malveaux 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
Korea Crisis>
