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North Korea Tell U.S. It Has Nuclear Weapons

Aired April 24, 2003 - 13:01   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: After the U.S. blitz of Iraq, some observers said North Korea has finally gotten the message. Well, maybe not. The north did agree to talks about its controversial nuclear program. But what it apparently said at the talks raised more concerns.
CNN's Andrea Koppel has word for us from the State Department.

Hello, Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Miles.

That's right, we're learning more about what, in fact, happened during Wednesday's meeting with Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, the North Koreans and the Chinese. One source, one U.S. source, telling me, in his words, -- quote -- "The truth now stares us in the face." During those meetings, I'm told that Leglan (ph), the North Korean representative, told James Kelly, the man you see right there, that North Korea did have nuclear weapons and that North Korea was threatening to test them, to prove to the United States and the international community that North Korea is a nuclear power.

Now, Secretary of State Powell, a short time ago, made very clear that the U.S. will not be bullied to the negotiating table.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: They should not leave this series of discussions that have been held in Beijing with the slightest impression that the United States and its partners and the nations in the region will be intimidated by bellicose statements, or by threats or actions they think might get them more attention, or might force us to make a concession that we would not otherwise make. They would be very ill advised to move in that direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: The question of course is what direction is U.S. policy going to move in, now that North Korea has admitted something that U.S. intelligence -- the community has said for some time, that North Korea has perhaps as many as one or two nuclear weapons, that it was able to develop from spent plutonium rods.

Miles, what has been happening with North Korea over a number of years has been bellicose statements, a lot of bluster, and this could be another bluff, U.S. officials point out, that you can't know for sure whether or not North Korea would, in fact, test a nuclear weapon. But certainly, this is a stunning admission on the part of the North Koreans, to tell the United States, to admit that they not only have a nuclear weapons program, but that they have nuclear weapons, and that they are threatening, really rattling the sabers, to test the nuclear weapons, and become, then, a declared nuclear power -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Andrea, it's so hard oftentimes to figure out the true motive through all of this. Is it just ham-handed tactics, are all the Koreans dumb like foxes in all of this?

KOPPEL: The North Koreans are known for their brinkmanship. And many experts, when you speak to them about the motive behind the bluster and threats, they will tell you this is fundamentally about the regime's survival. This is one of the poorest countries in the world. It is certainly one of the most isolated countries in the world, known as the hermit kingdom. Kim Jong-Il, the leader of North Korea, wants and needs to stay in power. And to do so, he needs economic assistance. They've been getting international assistance from the World Food Program. But he needs money, he wants investment in the country, and he also wants security assurances from the United States that North Korea won't go the way that Iraq did, that North Korea will not be one of the countries on the U.S. hit list -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Andrea Koppel, at the State Department.

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 April 24, 2003 - 13:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: After the U.S. blitz of Iraq, some observers said North Korea has finally gotten the message. Well, maybe not. The north did agree to talks about its controversial nuclear program. But what it apparently said at the talks raised more concerns.
CNN's Andrea Koppel has word for us from the State Department.

Hello, Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Miles.

That's right, we're learning more about what, in fact, happened during Wednesday's meeting with Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, the North Koreans and the Chinese. One source, one U.S. source, telling me, in his words, -- quote -- "The truth now stares us in the face." During those meetings, I'm told that Leglan (ph), the North Korean representative, told James Kelly, the man you see right there, that North Korea did have nuclear weapons and that North Korea was threatening to test them, to prove to the United States and the international community that North Korea is a nuclear power.

Now, Secretary of State Powell, a short time ago, made very clear that the U.S. will not be bullied to the negotiating table.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: They should not leave this series of discussions that have been held in Beijing with the slightest impression that the United States and its partners and the nations in the region will be intimidated by bellicose statements, or by threats or actions they think might get them more attention, or might force us to make a concession that we would not otherwise make. They would be very ill advised to move in that direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: The question of course is what direction is U.S. policy going to move in, now that North Korea has admitted something that U.S. intelligence -- the community has said for some time, that North Korea has perhaps as many as one or two nuclear weapons, that it was able to develop from spent plutonium rods.

Miles, what has been happening with North Korea over a number of years has been bellicose statements, a lot of bluster, and this could be another bluff, U.S. officials point out, that you can't know for sure whether or not North Korea would, in fact, test a nuclear weapon. But certainly, this is a stunning admission on the part of the North Koreans, to tell the United States, to admit that they not only have a nuclear weapons program, but that they have nuclear weapons, and that they are threatening, really rattling the sabers, to test the nuclear weapons, and become, then, a declared nuclear power -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Andrea, it's so hard oftentimes to figure out the true motive through all of this. Is it just ham-handed tactics, are all the Koreans dumb like foxes in all of this?

KOPPEL: The North Koreans are known for their brinkmanship. And many experts, when you speak to them about the motive behind the bluster and threats, they will tell you this is fundamentally about the regime's survival. This is one of the poorest countries in the world. It is certainly one of the most isolated countries in the world, known as the hermit kingdom. Kim Jong-Il, the leader of North Korea, wants and needs to stay in power. And to do so, he needs economic assistance. They've been getting international assistance from the World Food Program. But he needs money, he wants investment in the country, and he also wants security assurances from the United States that North Korea won't go the way that Iraq did, that North Korea will not be one of the countries on the U.S. hit list -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Andrea Koppel, at the State Department.

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