Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Tensions Between U.S., North Korea Grow
Aired December 29, 2002 - 10:01 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: Topping our news, the growing tensions between North Korea and the United States over the Communist country's nuclear plans. One day after staging a huge rally against the U.S., North Korea has a harsh new message for Washington. It vows to forge ahead with plans to restart its nuclear program and will not cave in to U.S. demands. At the same time, the Bush administration is stepping up the pressure on North Korea. CNN White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux is keeping track of the story from Crawford, Texas.
Hi, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fred. There is a lot of moves this morning. The administration saying it has no plans to attack North Korea. Secretary of State Colin Powell, this morning, on several talk shows said that the United States would give months to allow diplomacy to work with North Korea, that the administration would be willing to talk to North Korea if it had something constructive to say, but that it would not reward Pyongyang for bad behavior.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: They're on a troubling course. I think they were frankly caught out with the enriched uranium capability they were putting in place, which was in violation of the understandings that we had with North Korea. And now, they've compounded that error by rejecting the IAEA inspectors and removing the seals. They say they're doing it to produce electricity. We should hold that claim suspect until we see what happens.
This is the time for the international community to come together, especially around North Korea and try to get them to the understanding that the international community wants to help North Korean not attack North Korea. We want to help the people who are starving. We want to help them build a society and an economy that can take care of those people and relay their moving will not assist us in (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, the U.S. policy towards North Korea is called tailored containment. The idea is to put as much financial and diplomatic pressure on North Korea and Kim Jong Il to abandon his nuclear weapons program. Some of the highlights of that policy, the administration to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency, perhaps bringing the case of North Korea before the U.N. Security Council. The council then could find North Korea in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty or perhaps slap economic sanctions. Also, the administration will urge North Korea's neighbors to limit and perhaps even sever economic ties with Pyongyang.
Already, Japan and South Korea have cut off their oil shipments to that country. But a senior administration official saying, of course, for this plan to work, for the policy to be successful, it will require really close cooperation with allies, including, Russia, China, South Korea as well as Japan. But the whole point is trying to isolate North Korea to the point that it has to give up its nuclear powers weapon or face a crippling regime -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne. Thank you very much from Crawford.
Well, North Korea is seen as the Cold War's last frontier and it does remain isolated from much of the rest of the world. But the Communist leaders in neighboring China will still have key influence on North Korea, as Suzanne was explaining. And China's role in the crisis is considered vital by the United States. More now from CNN's Lisa Rose Weaver in Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA ROSE WEAVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: China is clearly engaged with its neighbors on the emerging crisis in North Korea. News today from the state-run media that the Chinese foreign minister spoke on the telephone with the South Korean foreign minister to discuss issues of common concern about what's going on in North Korea.
There was no specific reaction to Pyongyang's order for the International Atomic Energy monitors to leave the country. However, the timing of China's reaction to this -- it's very quick by Chinese standards -- seems to indicate that there is real concern about what's going to happen in the coming days.
Now, most of China's reaction today has centered on its long-term position that the United States, North Korea and South Korea must restart a dialogue. The way they need to do that, says China, is through a 1994 accord. According to that accord, there would have been an exchange of North Korea stopping its nuclear weapons program in exchange for fuel oil from the United States. So again, China's main concern now dialogue between all parties concerned is to try to provide a peaceful resolution to this crisis.
This is Lisa Rose Weaver reporting from Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: North Korea will be one topic on the agenda today when Secretary of State Colin Powell visits Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "LATE EDITION." That's at noon Eastern Time, 9:00 a.m. Pacific. And Senator Joseph Lieberman will also be a guest on "LATE EDITION." He'll weigh in on the so-called axis of evil, the conflict in the Middle East and the 2004 presidential race.
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 29, 2002 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Topping our news, the growing tensions between North Korea and the United States over the Communist country's nuclear plans. One day after staging a huge rally against the U.S., North Korea has a harsh new message for Washington. It vows to forge ahead with plans to restart its nuclear program and will not cave in to U.S. demands. At the same time, the Bush administration is stepping up the pressure on North Korea. CNN White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux is keeping track of the story from Crawford, Texas.
Hi, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fred. There is a lot of moves this morning. The administration saying it has no plans to attack North Korea. Secretary of State Colin Powell, this morning, on several talk shows said that the United States would give months to allow diplomacy to work with North Korea, that the administration would be willing to talk to North Korea if it had something constructive to say, but that it would not reward Pyongyang for bad behavior.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: They're on a troubling course. I think they were frankly caught out with the enriched uranium capability they were putting in place, which was in violation of the understandings that we had with North Korea. And now, they've compounded that error by rejecting the IAEA inspectors and removing the seals. They say they're doing it to produce electricity. We should hold that claim suspect until we see what happens.
This is the time for the international community to come together, especially around North Korea and try to get them to the understanding that the international community wants to help North Korean not attack North Korea. We want to help the people who are starving. We want to help them build a society and an economy that can take care of those people and relay their moving will not assist us in (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, the U.S. policy towards North Korea is called tailored containment. The idea is to put as much financial and diplomatic pressure on North Korea and Kim Jong Il to abandon his nuclear weapons program. Some of the highlights of that policy, the administration to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency, perhaps bringing the case of North Korea before the U.N. Security Council. The council then could find North Korea in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty or perhaps slap economic sanctions. Also, the administration will urge North Korea's neighbors to limit and perhaps even sever economic ties with Pyongyang.
Already, Japan and South Korea have cut off their oil shipments to that country. But a senior administration official saying, of course, for this plan to work, for the policy to be successful, it will require really close cooperation with allies, including, Russia, China, South Korea as well as Japan. But the whole point is trying to isolate North Korea to the point that it has to give up its nuclear powers weapon or face a crippling regime -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne. Thank you very much from Crawford.
Well, North Korea is seen as the Cold War's last frontier and it does remain isolated from much of the rest of the world. But the Communist leaders in neighboring China will still have key influence on North Korea, as Suzanne was explaining. And China's role in the crisis is considered vital by the United States. More now from CNN's Lisa Rose Weaver in Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA ROSE WEAVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: China is clearly engaged with its neighbors on the emerging crisis in North Korea. News today from the state-run media that the Chinese foreign minister spoke on the telephone with the South Korean foreign minister to discuss issues of common concern about what's going on in North Korea.
There was no specific reaction to Pyongyang's order for the International Atomic Energy monitors to leave the country. However, the timing of China's reaction to this -- it's very quick by Chinese standards -- seems to indicate that there is real concern about what's going to happen in the coming days.
Now, most of China's reaction today has centered on its long-term position that the United States, North Korea and South Korea must restart a dialogue. The way they need to do that, says China, is through a 1994 accord. According to that accord, there would have been an exchange of North Korea stopping its nuclear weapons program in exchange for fuel oil from the United States. So again, China's main concern now dialogue between all parties concerned is to try to provide a peaceful resolution to this crisis.
This is Lisa Rose Weaver reporting from Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: North Korea will be one topic on the agenda today when Secretary of State Colin Powell visits Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "LATE EDITION." That's at noon Eastern Time, 9:00 a.m. Pacific. And Senator Joseph Lieberman will also be a guest on "LATE EDITION." He'll weigh in on the so-called axis of evil, the conflict in the Middle East and the 2004 presidential race.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
