Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

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QUESTION: You've seen the blast from Pyongyang, I assume. What do you make of it?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, they've continued their current public invective, I would say. But we don't consider this a reaction to what we said yesterday and we don't have any other reaction to what we said yesterday from North Korea. They typically take some time to formulate their policies and to react, so I wouldn't jump on this one today as being a reaction.

QUESTION: Have you, in fact, contacted them at a lower -- through the New York channel?

MR. BOUCHER: I think we said yesterday that we conveyed the statement to them through the New York channel, yeah.

QUESTION: And has there been any response?

MR. BOUCHER: No, I just said there hadn't been any reaction.

QUESTION: Did you --

QUESTION: Do you have any --

MR. BOUCHER: Sir. Or sir. Pick one.

QUESTION: I don't care.

QUESTION: Do you have a date for the Kelly trip yet?

MR. BOUCHER: Kelly's trip, yep, I have the whole itinerary now. Assistant Secretary Kelly will visit South Korea, China, Singapore, Indonesia and Japan. I think I mistakenly listed a different country yesterday, so if we can go beyond that. It was Indonesia rather than Malaysia.

Anyway, South Korea, China, Singapore, Indonesia and Japan. The trip goes from January 12th to 19th. He'll meet with officials in each capital to talk about our global regional bilateral issues of concern, including North Korea, the fight against terrorism and other events.

QUESTION: Are those in --

MR. BOUCHER: I'll give you the details now. He'll be in Seoul January 12 to 14, Beijing January 14 to 16, Singapore January 16 and 17, Jakarta January 17 and 18, and Tokyo on January 19th.

QUESTION: While we're at it, Mr. Bolton will be out there later in the month. Can you fine-tune that a little?

MR. BOUCHER: Bolton. Under Secretary Bolton will be in China from January 19th to the 21st, in South Korea from the 21st to the 23rd, and Japan from the 23rd to the 25th.

QUESTION: The dialogue that you offered unconditionally yesterday, is it possible that Mr. Kelly will expand his travels to go to Pyongyang?

MR. BOUCHER: What we said yesterday is we're willing to talk to the North Koreans about how they can come into compliance with their obligations. I would not speculate at all on how, when or where that might happen. Certainly nothing like that is planned in any shape or form at this time.

QUESTION: Are you seeking (inaudible)?

MR. BOUCHER: Let's -- we've said our piece. We're looking for their reaction. That's what I said yesterday. I'll say it again today.

Matt.

QUESTION: Do you have any indication at all that the copy of -- that the North Korean statement that came out last night, that at the time that they put it out that their UN mission had faxed it or however they get word back to the Foreign Ministry in Pyongyang, do you have any indication --

MR. BOUCHER: I have no idea what the North Koreans did with a piece of paper once we give it to them. You'll have to ask them. I'm sure they'll be completely forthcoming with you.

(Laughter).

QUESTION: And can you just for -- I mean, did someone walk over to the mission in hand it to them? Was it faxed? Is there any -- do you guys have knowledge that the North -- did the North Koreans acknowledge receipt of the paper? I mean, I realize you think it's trivial, but --

MR. BOUCHER: The North Koreans -- the North Koreans, first of all, I'm sure they read all the press reporting and read the copies of what we put out, the full statement. We also made sure they had a full copy of it. When we do this, either we walk it over to them and talk to them, or we fax it over and talk to them on the phone and make sure they got it. So I have no doubt that the North Koreans received it, yes.

QUESTION: Okay. But, so what I was asking was that, you know, that if there was some personal contact, did they say thank you very much and goodbye, go away? Or did they say, you know, this is garbage and rip it up in front of --

MR. BOUCHER: You'll have to ask them for whatever they want to say.

Okay.

QUESTION: Well, we have a five-page -- one of the several interviews the Secretary did today. One is with -- well, actually he did this one yesterday, but we just got it today, Public Radio International.

MR. BOUCHER: Because we respect the rights of news organizations to broadcast their interviews before we release them, as we do with the Associated Press and others.

QUESTION: I don't understand what you're saying, but I just said we --

MR. BOUCHER: I know you don't. That's not new.

QUESTION: Well, I respect your rights too, or whatever you said.

But the point is, I have a question about -- we don't -- you know, if you had a news conference it would help. But in it, he speaks really about Iraq --

MR. BOUCHER: Have we got a question in here somewhere?

QUESTION: We're not looking for a war. We're trying to avoid a war. You know, it's our -- again, you know, the preference is a peaceful resolution. "We're trying to solve a problem." It brings to mind that's pretty much what you've been telling North Korea.

Is it possible that the US is interested in a dialogue with Iraq to avoid war, as it's interested in dialogue with North Korea?

MR. BOUCHER: Barry, first of all, this is the second time you've been critical of our saying we want to resolve these issues peacefully.

QUESTION: I'm not being critical. He says it here. Would you like to hear the quote?

MR. BOUCHER: Barry --

QUESTION: "We're not trying to go to war. We're trying to solve a problem."

MR. BOUCHER: I thought I was the one that was supposed to stand here and read the Secretary's transcripts.

QUESTION: No, but you're distorting what I say. You're slighting -- you're -- you know, you're not representing what I'm asking. His quote is: "We're not trying to go to war. We're trying to solve a problem." I'm asking if he is looking for a dialogue as a way to solve a problem.

MR. BOUCHER: We have made very clear in the Secretary's words and our own that the United States wants to solve these situations peacefully. It should come as no surprise for you. I don't think I've ever stood up here and said that there was a particular situation in the world that we hoped to solve violently.

QUESTION: I'm not surprised.

MR. BOUCHER: But nonetheless, I think you'll also remember from our abundant conversations at this podium and the times when you and others have talked to the Secretary that there are different approaches for different situations and that the pressures and the tools and the mechanisms that we're bringing to bear on the situation in North Korea are somewhat different from those that we're bringing to bear on Iraq -- because the history is different, the 12-year history of Iraq's defiance is different, the unique situation that the President has described in Iraq is different, the history of Iraq's use of weapons of mass destruction against its own people and its own neighbors is different -- and therefore, in order to solve these situations peacefully, we are bringing different means and tools and efforts to bear.

QUESTION: I didn't question the way you're going about it --

MR. BOUCHER: Suggesting dialogue with Iraq has not been part of the picture because over the years there have been a lot of dialogues with Iraq, none of which have led to anything. The issue for Iraq is to comply with the UN Security Council resolutions. That's been the international community. There are people who talk to Iraq and we have always -- we haven't -- we've always said that in any conversations what they really need to make clear to Iraq is that one way the other Iraq has to comply with the Security Council resolutions.

QUESTION: Okay.

QUESTION: I realize that this is going to draw groans, but once again there's been a report that you guys and now the Russians are looking into exile opportunities for Saddam. Is there anything new to say? Can you expand on what you've said in the past? I realize we've gone over this every day for the past week. But nothing new?

MR. BOUCHER: No, there's not really anything new to say. It's an option that we would all hope he would take advantage of. I think Secretary Rumsfeld said that again yesterday. It's a fact.

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