ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT WITH PETER JENNINGS October 16, 2002
NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES
PETER JENNINGS, ABC NEWS: We've also been covering the bombshell, and that is the right word for it, about nuclear weapons and North Korea. As the Bush Administration threatens to attack Iraq, it also confronts a nuclear crisis in Asia, acknowledging that North Korea's nuclear program is very advanced, certainly more advanced than Iraq's. And that the United States, the Bush Administration, has known this for some time. We start with ABC's Martha Raddatz, who's at the State Department. Martha?
MARTHA RADDATZ, ABC NEWS: Peter, North Korea's reaction to this came as a huge shock to the Administration, and, as a result, the United States has cut off all diplomatic contact with North Korea. The revelation means that North Korea, which already has a huge conventional war capability, may now have a significant nuclear program as well.
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: That is the assessment of the intelligence community. But I believe they have a small number of nuclear weapons.
MARTHA RADDATZ: The US thought a 1994 accord had halted nuclear weapons programs, but in meetings earlier this month, which the White House has just disclosed, Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly confronted the North Koreans with disturbing new evidence.
RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: Our analysts became convinced because of a growing body of evidence that North Korea was pursuing a covert, secret, a covert uranium enrichment program.
MARTHA RADDATZ: A US official who was in the meetings said the North Koreans at first denied the accusations, calling them slanderous, a complete fabrication. Then the next day, a change. The official said that North Koreans became belligerent, telling the US," We have the uranium program and more."
graphics: north koreans denied accusations " . . . slanderous . . . " " . . . complete fabrication . . . " next day ' " . . . belligerent . . . ", "we have the uranium program . . . and more."
JOHN PIKE, DIRECTOR, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG: We know that Korea is known to have a large chemical weapons program. It is believed to have a significant biological weapons program. And so basically, all of the things that are suspected about Iraq are known about North Korea.
MARTHA RADDATZ: But the Administration is still baffled as to why North Korea is doing this at a time when relations were starting to improve. Robert Gallucci was special envoy to Korea in the Clinton Administration.
ROBERT GALLUCCI, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FOREIGN SERVICE: I can't believe the only reason they told us this was in order to put it in our face. I can't believe there isn't a plan of some kind that the North Koreans would like to get somewhere and get something out of this capability.
MARTHA RADDATZ: North Korea's missiles are capable of hitting Japan, Peter, and probably further.
PETER JENNINGS: Thank you, Martha. Martha Raddatz at the State Department.
© Copyright 2002 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
