Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
North Korea's Reasons for Defiance Unclear
Aired December 24, 2002 - 07:33 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is spending Christmas at Camp David, but he's closely monitoring developments in Iraq and more importantly, in North Korea.
And White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is standing by at the White House with more.
Good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE, MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
The president, as well as the first family, is sending the holiday at Camp David. They normally go to the Crawford ranch, but as you mentioned before, the Bush Administration is really dealing with an increasingly defiant North Korea.
The White House is downplaying the sense of urgency, saying they are in initial stages of diplomacy. But it's coming under increasing pressure from members of Congress, who want the administration to reassess its priorities, to deal with North Korea before Iraq.
Within the last 72 hours, International Atomic Energy Agency has reported some dramatic developments. It was just on Saturday that North Korea began dismantling some of the international monitoring equipment at a nuclear reactor complex.
It was Sunday that they started disabling the cameras, as well as breaking seals to the access of some of those spent fuel rods and equipment that will allow them to be turned into weapons grade material.
There are now experts saying they believe that North Korea is now capable, perhaps, of actually creating a plutonium based bomb as early as six months.
Now the Bush Administration emphasizing they're going to use diplomacy, economic pressure. They're working with their allies: Russia, South Korea, Japan and others.
But at the same time, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld warned North Korea that yes, they will allow diplomacy to work, economic pressure to work, but at the same time, the U.S. can deal with two military fronts if necessary.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We are capable of fighting two major regional conflicts as the national strategy and the force size and construct clearly indicates. We're capable of winning decisively in one and swiftly defeating, in the case of the other. And let there be no doubt about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: So the administration methods, no concessions to North Korea until they're dismantled, until it disables its nuclear weapons program. But at the same time, backing up with some tough words, perhaps, military action in the future -- Paula.
ZAHN: Suzanne, the secretary of defense also made it clear he didn't think the timing of this North Korean move had much to do with the prospect of war in Iraq. But what is everybody else saying around the White House?
MALVEAUX: You know, it's really mixed, because they're to figure out just what North Korea is doing. There's one school of thought which is perhaps they are trying to create a wedge between the United States and the new leadership of South Korea, that that is going to be an increasing problem on the political front.
There are others who believe that they are trying to extract economic aid, some sort of political advantage at this point because the United States is taking such a strong position when it comes to Iraq.
But there are a number of people who are scratching their heads and still trying to figure out what it is that North Korea is doing. It has become clear, however, that at least they are ratcheting up the rhetoric at this time.
ZAHN: Well, that's for darn sure. Suzanne, thanks so 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 December 24, 2002 - 07:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is spending Christmas at Camp David, but he's closely monitoring developments in Iraq and more importantly, in North Korea.
And White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is standing by at the White House with more.
Good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE, MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
The president, as well as the first family, is sending the holiday at Camp David. They normally go to the Crawford ranch, but as you mentioned before, the Bush Administration is really dealing with an increasingly defiant North Korea.
The White House is downplaying the sense of urgency, saying they are in initial stages of diplomacy. But it's coming under increasing pressure from members of Congress, who want the administration to reassess its priorities, to deal with North Korea before Iraq.
Within the last 72 hours, International Atomic Energy Agency has reported some dramatic developments. It was just on Saturday that North Korea began dismantling some of the international monitoring equipment at a nuclear reactor complex.
It was Sunday that they started disabling the cameras, as well as breaking seals to the access of some of those spent fuel rods and equipment that will allow them to be turned into weapons grade material.
There are now experts saying they believe that North Korea is now capable, perhaps, of actually creating a plutonium based bomb as early as six months.
Now the Bush Administration emphasizing they're going to use diplomacy, economic pressure. They're working with their allies: Russia, South Korea, Japan and others.
But at the same time, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld warned North Korea that yes, they will allow diplomacy to work, economic pressure to work, but at the same time, the U.S. can deal with two military fronts if necessary.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We are capable of fighting two major regional conflicts as the national strategy and the force size and construct clearly indicates. We're capable of winning decisively in one and swiftly defeating, in the case of the other. And let there be no doubt about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: So the administration methods, no concessions to North Korea until they're dismantled, until it disables its nuclear weapons program. But at the same time, backing up with some tough words, perhaps, military action in the future -- Paula.
ZAHN: Suzanne, the secretary of defense also made it clear he didn't think the timing of this North Korean move had much to do with the prospect of war in Iraq. But what is everybody else saying around the White House?
MALVEAUX: You know, it's really mixed, because they're to figure out just what North Korea is doing. There's one school of thought which is perhaps they are trying to create a wedge between the United States and the new leadership of South Korea, that that is going to be an increasing problem on the political front.
There are others who believe that they are trying to extract economic aid, some sort of political advantage at this point because the United States is taking such a strong position when it comes to Iraq.
But there are a number of people who are scratching their heads and still trying to figure out what it is that North Korea is doing. It has become clear, however, that at least they are ratcheting up the rhetoric at this time.
ZAHN: Well, that's for darn sure. Suzanne, thanks so 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
