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CNN Sunday Morning
Powell Says 1994 Accord With North Korea Null, Void
Aired October 20, 2002 - 10:09 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now as we're awaiting that press conference out of Virginia, there are other stories we've covering for you around the nation and around the world. This morning in Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell says the 1994 accord with North Korea on nuclear weapons is effectively null and void.
CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace joins us live now with details on that development -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, the White House is scrapping this 1994 agreement with North Korea, in which the U.S. provided energy assistance to North Korea in exchange for the communist regime freezing its nuclear weapons program.
Now, this move comes after North Korea two weeks ago admitted for top U.S. officials that it was, in fact, pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was making the rounds on the Sunday interview programs, really placed the blame on the North Koreans. He said two weeks ago, at that meeting between the U.S. official and North Korean officials in (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the North Koreans told the U.S. that this agreement was now nullified.
Well, Secretary Powell said when you have an agreement between two parties and one party says that agreement is nullified, it now becomes a nullified agreement.
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice echoing that same message in an interview that will be seen on CNN's "LATE EDITION."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: This is a big deal, because North Korea has, in effect, told us that a political arrangement between the United States, North Korea and several other parties has been nullified. They are the ones who've blown a hole in this political arrangement, and in the most brazen fashion admitted that they have been looking for an alternative path to a nuclear weapon from the plutonium path that we thought they were on. It's a very serious matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And you can see that entire interview with Condoleezza Rice on CNN's "LATE EDITION" with Wolf Blitzer at 12 noon, Eastern time.
Now the most practical implication of this move is the U.S. will be halting any annual shipments of some 500,000 tons of fuel oil to North Korea, which North Korea was supposed to use to build power plants in that country.
U.S. officials now are trying to put maximum diplomatic pressure on North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il, reaching out to the country's neighbors, Japan, South Korea and China, trying to get those countries to impress upon North Korea the importance of dismantling its nuclear weapons program right now.
And U.S. officials continue to be pressed with this question, why different strategies for North Korea and with Iraq? Why would the administration consider possible military action with Iraq and say that right now military action is not an option when it comes to North Korea? While U.S. officials continue to say North Korea and Iraq are different situations, and they believe Iraq poses a unique threat, that Saddam Hussein and his regime are a class by themselves and pose, really, the greatest threat to the U.S. and its allies around the world -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Kelly Wallace from the White House. 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 October 20, 2002 - 10:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now as we're awaiting that press conference out of Virginia, there are other stories we've covering for you around the nation and around the world. This morning in Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell says the 1994 accord with North Korea on nuclear weapons is effectively null and void.
CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace joins us live now with details on that development -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, the White House is scrapping this 1994 agreement with North Korea, in which the U.S. provided energy assistance to North Korea in exchange for the communist regime freezing its nuclear weapons program.
Now, this move comes after North Korea two weeks ago admitted for top U.S. officials that it was, in fact, pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was making the rounds on the Sunday interview programs, really placed the blame on the North Koreans. He said two weeks ago, at that meeting between the U.S. official and North Korean officials in (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the North Koreans told the U.S. that this agreement was now nullified.
Well, Secretary Powell said when you have an agreement between two parties and one party says that agreement is nullified, it now becomes a nullified agreement.
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice echoing that same message in an interview that will be seen on CNN's "LATE EDITION."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: This is a big deal, because North Korea has, in effect, told us that a political arrangement between the United States, North Korea and several other parties has been nullified. They are the ones who've blown a hole in this political arrangement, and in the most brazen fashion admitted that they have been looking for an alternative path to a nuclear weapon from the plutonium path that we thought they were on. It's a very serious matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And you can see that entire interview with Condoleezza Rice on CNN's "LATE EDITION" with Wolf Blitzer at 12 noon, Eastern time.
Now the most practical implication of this move is the U.S. will be halting any annual shipments of some 500,000 tons of fuel oil to North Korea, which North Korea was supposed to use to build power plants in that country.
U.S. officials now are trying to put maximum diplomatic pressure on North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il, reaching out to the country's neighbors, Japan, South Korea and China, trying to get those countries to impress upon North Korea the importance of dismantling its nuclear weapons program right now.
And U.S. officials continue to be pressed with this question, why different strategies for North Korea and with Iraq? Why would the administration consider possible military action with Iraq and say that right now military action is not an option when it comes to North Korea? While U.S. officials continue to say North Korea and Iraq are different situations, and they believe Iraq poses a unique threat, that Saddam Hussein and his regime are a class by themselves and pose, really, the greatest threat to the U.S. and its allies around the world -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Kelly Wallace from the White House. 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
