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American Morning
North Korea: Increasing Danger of Nuclear War
Aired January 08, 2003 - 07:09 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Iraq is certainly not the only threat the White House is now facing. North Korea's nuclear program continues to be a problem for the White House. Pyongyang making new accusations as well, and yesterday, a bit of a shift in the tone from the White House when it comes to dialogue with the North Koreans.
John King on the Front Lawn of the White House with us this morning.
John -- we say good morning to you. Why the shift in tone we heard yesterday?
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, U.S. officials are insisting, Bill, that this is a logical extension of what they have been saying all along, but certainly publicly a rhetorical shift from the administration. Secretary Powell now saying that the United States is open to a dialogue, open to discussions with North Korea as soon as possible about ways to get it to abide by its previous commitments to the world in terms of dismantling and forever saying it will not have a nuclear weapons program.
The president himself said on Monday that the United States would have a dialogue with North Korea. Previously, though, the administration had always said it would not negotiate, that North Korea should first completely disavow any nuclear weapons programs, let international inspectors in, and then the United States would enter into some conversations and negotiations.
What U.S. officials are saying now is they want to diffuse this crisis, they are willing to sit down and talk to the North Koreans. But senior officials are putting it this way: They will sit down and listen to the North Koreans, and what the United States says back depends on what the North Koreans says -- say to them -- excuse me.
Now, the administration also insisting, Bill, that they will have a conversation, but not a negotiation, that the United States is not open to any fuel aid, any economic aid, any humanitarian aid, any nonaggression treaty or anything like that. This will not be a quid pro quo. The administration says, though, it is willing to sit down and listen to the North Koreans explain why they are doing what they are doing. And hopefully, U.S. officials say, North Korea would come to the table with a commitment to reverse course and get rid of that nuclear weapons program.
HEMMER: John, clarify this. We've heard from the White House repeatedly since this situation broke out that it is a matter of diplomacy right now. Why is the White House so convinced that it's diplomacy and not military action that may solve this situation with Pyongyang?
KING: Well, the simple military reality is one reason the administration wants to resolve this diplomatically. North Korea could not win a war on the Korean peninsula, U.S. officials say, but they certainly could inflict huge damage on the capital of South Korea, Seoul. There are 37,000 U.S. troops in South Korea. That is more of a symbolic force. It certainly could not repel a million-man North Korean army.
The United States has said consistently, this dates back to the Clinton administration, that the force option is on the table if North Korea does not back down and continues to progress with a nuclear weapons program, but the simple reality is a war on the Korean peninsula, especially a war involving North Korean nuclear weapons, would be devastating, not only on the peninsula, in the whole region. Japan is worried about that. China is worried about that.
So, priority No. 1 is to try to resolve this peacefully. The administration insists, though, even though it now says it will talk to the North Koreans that it will not be subjected to any nuclear blackmail.
HEMMER: Our senior White House correspondent, John King -- John, thanks.
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 January 8, 2003 - 07:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Iraq is certainly not the only threat the White House is now facing. North Korea's nuclear program continues to be a problem for the White House. Pyongyang making new accusations as well, and yesterday, a bit of a shift in the tone from the White House when it comes to dialogue with the North Koreans.
John King on the Front Lawn of the White House with us this morning.
John -- we say good morning to you. Why the shift in tone we heard yesterday?
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, U.S. officials are insisting, Bill, that this is a logical extension of what they have been saying all along, but certainly publicly a rhetorical shift from the administration. Secretary Powell now saying that the United States is open to a dialogue, open to discussions with North Korea as soon as possible about ways to get it to abide by its previous commitments to the world in terms of dismantling and forever saying it will not have a nuclear weapons program.
The president himself said on Monday that the United States would have a dialogue with North Korea. Previously, though, the administration had always said it would not negotiate, that North Korea should first completely disavow any nuclear weapons programs, let international inspectors in, and then the United States would enter into some conversations and negotiations.
What U.S. officials are saying now is they want to diffuse this crisis, they are willing to sit down and talk to the North Koreans. But senior officials are putting it this way: They will sit down and listen to the North Koreans, and what the United States says back depends on what the North Koreans says -- say to them -- excuse me.
Now, the administration also insisting, Bill, that they will have a conversation, but not a negotiation, that the United States is not open to any fuel aid, any economic aid, any humanitarian aid, any nonaggression treaty or anything like that. This will not be a quid pro quo. The administration says, though, it is willing to sit down and listen to the North Koreans explain why they are doing what they are doing. And hopefully, U.S. officials say, North Korea would come to the table with a commitment to reverse course and get rid of that nuclear weapons program.
HEMMER: John, clarify this. We've heard from the White House repeatedly since this situation broke out that it is a matter of diplomacy right now. Why is the White House so convinced that it's diplomacy and not military action that may solve this situation with Pyongyang?
KING: Well, the simple military reality is one reason the administration wants to resolve this diplomatically. North Korea could not win a war on the Korean peninsula, U.S. officials say, but they certainly could inflict huge damage on the capital of South Korea, Seoul. There are 37,000 U.S. troops in South Korea. That is more of a symbolic force. It certainly could not repel a million-man North Korean army.
The United States has said consistently, this dates back to the Clinton administration, that the force option is on the table if North Korea does not back down and continues to progress with a nuclear weapons program, but the simple reality is a war on the Korean peninsula, especially a war involving North Korean nuclear weapons, would be devastating, not only on the peninsula, in the whole region. Japan is worried about that. China is worried about that.
So, priority No. 1 is to try to resolve this peacefully. The administration insists, though, even though it now says it will talk to the North Koreans that it will not be subjected to any nuclear blackmail.
HEMMER: Our senior White House correspondent, John King -- John, thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
