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North Korean Nukes
Aired July 15, 2003 - 15:03 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: And now we're going to make a turn to a brewing diplomatic storm. The Bush administration says it's trying to verify North Korea's claim that it has now produced enough plutonium to make nuclear bombs.
Let's check in with our White House correspondent Dana Bash.
Dana, what are they saying?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, as you know, the White House has been on the defensive about prewar intelligence concerning Iraq and Saddam Hussein's alleged attempt to reconstitute its nuclear program.
But today, as you said, the White House is saying that North Korea, the North Koreans, are telling them that they are further along in their nuclear program. According to White House spokesman Scott McClellan, a North Korean diplomatic approached a State Department official in New York last week and said that they have completed reprocessing some spent fuel rods. And that would, of course, turn it into plutonium.
And another official tells CNN that the North Koreans said that they're ready to start making nuclear weapons from that material. Now, the White House is saying that they can't yet independently confirm whether or not what the North Koreans are saying is actually true. They note that North Koreans have said time and time again explosive statements. Some have turned out to be true and some haven't.
Nevertheless, the White House is saying they are taking this very seriously. This raises serious concerns. And as of now, what they intend to do is to work with countries in the region to try to get North Korea to stop its nuclear program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: North Korea continues to face two clear choices. They can continue isolating themselves by their own actions and own words, or they can be open to ending its nuclear weapons program and participating in multilateral talks to move forward and realize the benefits that could be offered them in the international community. But they must end, irreversibly, their pursuit of nuclear weapons.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BASH: Now, what the North Koreans have been asking for for months is one-on-one talks with the United States. But, as you just heard from Scott McClellan, the White House is making clear they're going to stay on their multilateral diplomatic approach.
But that is raising alarm bells from some in the diplomatic community and some former experts. Former Defense Secretary William Perry, an expert on North Korea, somebody who has not been very alarmist about the implications for what has been going on with North Korea, has said now that he is very concerned that the situation is becoming quite dangerous. In an interview with "The Washington Post," he said -- quote -- "The nuclear program now under way in North Korea poses an imminent danger of nuclear weapons being detonated in American cities."
Now, despite the fact that the president did go to war against Saddam Hussein for allegedly reconstituting his nuclear program, among other things, the White House is saying that different situations and different situations deserve different approaches. And for now, they are continuing a diplomatic approach with North Korea. And they say they will not give in to what they call nuclear blackmail -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Well, coming from the former defense secretary, someone who is -- we don't hear speaking out very often, the White House must be concerned.
All right, Dana, thank you very much.
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 July 15, 2003 - 15:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: And now we're going to make a turn to a brewing diplomatic storm. The Bush administration says it's trying to verify North Korea's claim that it has now produced enough plutonium to make nuclear bombs.
Let's check in with our White House correspondent Dana Bash.
Dana, what are they saying?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, as you know, the White House has been on the defensive about prewar intelligence concerning Iraq and Saddam Hussein's alleged attempt to reconstitute its nuclear program.
But today, as you said, the White House is saying that North Korea, the North Koreans, are telling them that they are further along in their nuclear program. According to White House spokesman Scott McClellan, a North Korean diplomatic approached a State Department official in New York last week and said that they have completed reprocessing some spent fuel rods. And that would, of course, turn it into plutonium.
And another official tells CNN that the North Koreans said that they're ready to start making nuclear weapons from that material. Now, the White House is saying that they can't yet independently confirm whether or not what the North Koreans are saying is actually true. They note that North Koreans have said time and time again explosive statements. Some have turned out to be true and some haven't.
Nevertheless, the White House is saying they are taking this very seriously. This raises serious concerns. And as of now, what they intend to do is to work with countries in the region to try to get North Korea to stop its nuclear program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: North Korea continues to face two clear choices. They can continue isolating themselves by their own actions and own words, or they can be open to ending its nuclear weapons program and participating in multilateral talks to move forward and realize the benefits that could be offered them in the international community. But they must end, irreversibly, their pursuit of nuclear weapons.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BASH: Now, what the North Koreans have been asking for for months is one-on-one talks with the United States. But, as you just heard from Scott McClellan, the White House is making clear they're going to stay on their multilateral diplomatic approach.
But that is raising alarm bells from some in the diplomatic community and some former experts. Former Defense Secretary William Perry, an expert on North Korea, somebody who has not been very alarmist about the implications for what has been going on with North Korea, has said now that he is very concerned that the situation is becoming quite dangerous. In an interview with "The Washington Post," he said -- quote -- "The nuclear program now under way in North Korea poses an imminent danger of nuclear weapons being detonated in American cities."
Now, despite the fact that the president did go to war against Saddam Hussein for allegedly reconstituting his nuclear program, among other things, the White House is saying that different situations and different situations deserve different approaches. And for now, they are continuing a diplomatic approach with North Korea. And they say they will not give in to what they call nuclear blackmail -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Well, coming from the former defense secretary, someone who is -- we don't hear speaking out very often, the White House must be concerned.
All right, Dana, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
