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White House Wants Peaceful Resolution to Crisis Over North Korea's Nuclear Weapons
Aired October 20, 2002 - 17:21 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: The White House says it is working to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis over North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Bush administration officials say they will soon consult with Japan, Russia, South Korea and China. White House correspondent Kelly Wallace has the details for us now from the White House. Good evening, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Fredricka.
Well, the White House is not saying it is officially scrapping a 1994 deal with North Korea. Instead, U.S. officials are blaming North Koreans for nullifying the deal. This administration is holding out hope that with enough international pressure, Pyongyang will decide to reverse course and freeze its nuclear program.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): The way President Bush and his aides see it, North Korea has abandoned its 1994 nuclear weapons deal, so the Bush team now considers that agreement effectively dead.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: They are the ones who have blown a hole in this political arrangement.
WALLACE: North Korea admitted two weeks ago it was pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program, and told the U.S. the '94 deal in which it receives energy assistance from the U.S. and other countries in exchange for freezing its nuclear program was nullified.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: One party has nullified it. And so, it's nullified. And we will decide what actions to take after consulting our friends.
WALLACE: One expected step, the U.S. suspending annual shipments of fuel oil to Pyongyang. As part of the administration's full court press to put pressure on North Korea, President Bush plans to meet with the leaders of China, Japan, South Korea and Russia later this week.
U.S. officials say they are not considering military action to force North Korea to disarm, but they continue to consider a possible war with Iraq. However, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee argues Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions and missile capabilities pose a greater threat to the U.S. than Baghdad does. SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D-FL), CHAIRMAN, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: And I think that needs to be part of the rebalancing of our foreign policy priorities.
WALLACE: The administration charges that Saddam Hussein is in a class by himself.
POWELL: Iraq has demonstrated its willingness to use this weaponry, demonstrated its willingness to invade its neighbors, has done so twice in the last 20 years, and is more of a real and present danger to the region that it is located in than I believe North Korea is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: U.S. officials say they will not adapt a cookie-cutter approach to foreign policy, meaning they won't use the same approach for every situation. They say Iraq's history makes necessary the threat of military force. They also say North Korea's interest in ending its economic isolation means that it's much more likely that diplomatic effort efforts will succeed -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Kelly, 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
Korea's Nuclear Weapons>
Aired October 20, 2002 - 17:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The White House says it is working to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis over North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Bush administration officials say they will soon consult with Japan, Russia, South Korea and China. White House correspondent Kelly Wallace has the details for us now from the White House. Good evening, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Fredricka.
Well, the White House is not saying it is officially scrapping a 1994 deal with North Korea. Instead, U.S. officials are blaming North Koreans for nullifying the deal. This administration is holding out hope that with enough international pressure, Pyongyang will decide to reverse course and freeze its nuclear program.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): The way President Bush and his aides see it, North Korea has abandoned its 1994 nuclear weapons deal, so the Bush team now considers that agreement effectively dead.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: They are the ones who have blown a hole in this political arrangement.
WALLACE: North Korea admitted two weeks ago it was pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program, and told the U.S. the '94 deal in which it receives energy assistance from the U.S. and other countries in exchange for freezing its nuclear program was nullified.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: One party has nullified it. And so, it's nullified. And we will decide what actions to take after consulting our friends.
WALLACE: One expected step, the U.S. suspending annual shipments of fuel oil to Pyongyang. As part of the administration's full court press to put pressure on North Korea, President Bush plans to meet with the leaders of China, Japan, South Korea and Russia later this week.
U.S. officials say they are not considering military action to force North Korea to disarm, but they continue to consider a possible war with Iraq. However, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee argues Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions and missile capabilities pose a greater threat to the U.S. than Baghdad does. SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D-FL), CHAIRMAN, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: And I think that needs to be part of the rebalancing of our foreign policy priorities.
WALLACE: The administration charges that Saddam Hussein is in a class by himself.
POWELL: Iraq has demonstrated its willingness to use this weaponry, demonstrated its willingness to invade its neighbors, has done so twice in the last 20 years, and is more of a real and present danger to the region that it is located in than I believe North Korea is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: U.S. officials say they will not adapt a cookie-cutter approach to foreign policy, meaning they won't use the same approach for every situation. They say Iraq's history makes necessary the threat of military force. They also say North Korea's interest in ending its economic isolation means that it's much more likely that diplomatic effort efforts will succeed -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Kelly, 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
Korea's Nuclear Weapons>
