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American Morning
Opening Doors?
Aired January 02, 2004 - 07:10 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: North Korea seems ready to open the doors of its main nuclear complex to a U.S. scientific team. A South Korean official said this morning that the north has agreed to let the team tour the facility next week.
Meantime, there are reports today that the U.S. may send an earthquake relief delegation, possibly leaded by Senator Elizabeth Dole, to Iran.
For more on both of these developments, we go to the White House now with correspondent Dana Bash, who is standing by.
Good morning to you -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.
First on North Korea. We're still waiting for U.S. confirmation of the fact that there could be a delegation going into North Korea to its really biggest nuclear facility called Yongbyon. But, as you mentioned, we are told by an official in South Korea, which has really been working hand in hand with the United States on this issue, that, in fact, a delegation of non-government scientists will be allowed in perhaps next week.
Now, if this does go through, this is quite significant, because no outside delegation, no outside scientists or inspectors have been allowed in since 2000. And that is when North Korea said that it does have a nuclear program, that it was going to abandon an agreement made back in 1994, and tensions have been escalating certainly since then.
Now, the U.S., along with four of North Korea's neighbors, have been trying to negotiate with that country to end its nuclear program, and the president back in October said that he was ready to offer North Korea some written assurances that they had been looking for, only though if they stopped in a verifiable way their nuclear program.
And if, in fact, North Korea is willing to let anybody in, it could be a sign that they are willing to negotiate at this point the start of some of those written assurances, and perhaps the six-party talks, as they're called, could get restarted. They have been delayed, postponed, and U.S. officials were hoping to start them as soon as possible -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Dana, President Bush also spoke yesterday about the possibility of improving relations with Iran in the wake of the earthquake and the U.S. aid going there. What's the latest on that now?
BASH: Well, Heidi, the president spoke to reporters on New Year's Day, the first time we'd heard from him since December 22. And, as you mentioned, he said that he was very pleased with the fact that Tehran did agree to allow U.S. aid and U.S. aid workers into that country to help with the humanitarian crisis from the earthquake. But clearly, he was trying to keep the pressure on that government by signaling to pro-democracy groups, as the U.S. has been doing for some time, that the U.S. really is trying to encourage them, and really this should be a sign to them that the U.S. cares about the people of Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What we're doing in Iran is we're showing the Iranian people the American people care, that we've got great compassion for human suffering, and ease restrictions in order to be able to get humanitarian aid into the country. The Iranian government must listen to the voices of those who long for freedom, must turn over al Qaeda that are in their custody, and must abandon their nuclear weapons program.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: There you hear President Bush again trying to tell the government of Iran that they are still -- the United States is still going to keep pressure on them, on their nuclear program, to get some suspected terrorists out of their country, but again making clear to the people of Iran, as the United States has been doing for some time, that they are encouraging them in their efforts towards d towards democracy -- Heidi.
COLLINS: It will be interesting to watch. All right, Dana Bash live from the White House this morning, 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 2, 2004 - 07:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: North Korea seems ready to open the doors of its main nuclear complex to a U.S. scientific team. A South Korean official said this morning that the north has agreed to let the team tour the facility next week.
Meantime, there are reports today that the U.S. may send an earthquake relief delegation, possibly leaded by Senator Elizabeth Dole, to Iran.
For more on both of these developments, we go to the White House now with correspondent Dana Bash, who is standing by.
Good morning to you -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.
First on North Korea. We're still waiting for U.S. confirmation of the fact that there could be a delegation going into North Korea to its really biggest nuclear facility called Yongbyon. But, as you mentioned, we are told by an official in South Korea, which has really been working hand in hand with the United States on this issue, that, in fact, a delegation of non-government scientists will be allowed in perhaps next week.
Now, if this does go through, this is quite significant, because no outside delegation, no outside scientists or inspectors have been allowed in since 2000. And that is when North Korea said that it does have a nuclear program, that it was going to abandon an agreement made back in 1994, and tensions have been escalating certainly since then.
Now, the U.S., along with four of North Korea's neighbors, have been trying to negotiate with that country to end its nuclear program, and the president back in October said that he was ready to offer North Korea some written assurances that they had been looking for, only though if they stopped in a verifiable way their nuclear program.
And if, in fact, North Korea is willing to let anybody in, it could be a sign that they are willing to negotiate at this point the start of some of those written assurances, and perhaps the six-party talks, as they're called, could get restarted. They have been delayed, postponed, and U.S. officials were hoping to start them as soon as possible -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Dana, President Bush also spoke yesterday about the possibility of improving relations with Iran in the wake of the earthquake and the U.S. aid going there. What's the latest on that now?
BASH: Well, Heidi, the president spoke to reporters on New Year's Day, the first time we'd heard from him since December 22. And, as you mentioned, he said that he was very pleased with the fact that Tehran did agree to allow U.S. aid and U.S. aid workers into that country to help with the humanitarian crisis from the earthquake. But clearly, he was trying to keep the pressure on that government by signaling to pro-democracy groups, as the U.S. has been doing for some time, that the U.S. really is trying to encourage them, and really this should be a sign to them that the U.S. cares about the people of Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What we're doing in Iran is we're showing the Iranian people the American people care, that we've got great compassion for human suffering, and ease restrictions in order to be able to get humanitarian aid into the country. The Iranian government must listen to the voices of those who long for freedom, must turn over al Qaeda that are in their custody, and must abandon their nuclear weapons program.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: There you hear President Bush again trying to tell the government of Iran that they are still -- the United States is still going to keep pressure on them, on their nuclear program, to get some suspected terrorists out of their country, but again making clear to the people of Iran, as the United States has been doing for some time, that they are encouraging them in their efforts towards d towards democracy -- Heidi.
COLLINS: It will be interesting to watch. All right, Dana Bash live from the White House this morning, 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.
