MTP Transcript for Oct. 15

MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: North Korea says it has tested a nuclear device. Three years ago the president made this firm pledge:

(Videotape, May 23, 2003):

PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH: We will not tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea.

(End videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: What now? With us: the administration’s point man on negotiating an international response, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton.

Then, only 23 days until the midterm elections. The Democrats must gain six seats to take control of the U.S. Senate. This morning, our Senate Debate series continues with another one of the most closely watched races of the year: Minnesota, where Republican Representative Mark Kennedy faces off against Democratic Hennepin County attorney Amy Klobuchar for this open seat. A new poll out this morning shows Klobuchar with a significant lead.

TEXT:

MINNESOTA

U.S. SENATE RACE

[bar graph shown]

  55%        34%

KLOBUCHAR   KENNEDY

MR. RUSSERT: Republican Mark Kennedy vs. Democrat Amy Klobuchar.

But first, North Korea. The United Nations Security Council voted 15-to-nothing to impose sanctions on North Korea for developing a nuclear weapons program. With us now to talk about that, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton.

Mr. Ambassador, good morning.

MR. JOHN BOLTON: Good morning.

MR. RUSSERT: Let me show you a press report describing what happened yesterday afternoon, and give you a chance to respond. “The United States was compelled to water down key measures designed to ensure that the sanctions could be enforced. And China - which shares an 880-mile border with North Korea - said after the vote that it would ignore a critical provision, which calls on governments to inspect goods entering or leaving North Korea...

“The resolution stops far short of imposing the kind of sweeping trade embargo initially proposed by Japan. It no longer contains a U.S.-proposed provision to give North Korea 30 days to suspend its nuclear program or face ‘further action.’

“The text also provides no additional authority to allow inspections of North Korean vessels suspected of transporting illicit weapons. The United States claims that it already possesses that power, but China maintains that such actions violate international law.”

If the Chinese are unwilling to protect the 880-mile border, or to board North Korean vessels for inspections, what good are these sanctions?

MR. BOLTON: I think, first off, you have to remember that China voted in favor of this resolution, which is under Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter, and therefore binding on them. So I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that they’re not going to abide by the terms of the resolution. And the, the guts of the resolution are sweeping sanctions against North Korea’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and their ballistic missile program. The council was unanimous in saying that North Korea has to completely, verifiably and irreversibly abandon all of those programs. This in response to the nuclear tests and, frankly, in response to the missile test earlier this summer.

We think that the inspection provision that the resolution contains is essentially identical to the inspection provision that we proposed on Monday, so we’re quite satisfied with this outcome.

MR. RUSSERT: Will the U.S. board North Korean vessels, if necessary, to inspect them?

MR. BOLTON: The intention that we have and that many other governments have, particularly those that are part of President Bush’s proliferation security initiative, will be to continue to carry out the inspections that we deem necessary in, in aid of this resolution. And, again, the inspection provision is quite broad. It talks about compliance with all of the provisions of the sanctions paragraph of the resolution.

MR. RUSSERT: After the vote was taken, the North Korean ambassador to the U.N. addressed the assembly. Let’s watch.

(Videotape, Yesterday):

MR. PAK GIL YON: The Democrat People’s Republic of Korea is ready for both dialogue and confrontation. If the United States increase pressure upon the Democrat People’s Republic of Korea persistently, the DPRK will continue to take physical countermeasures, considering it as a declaration of war.

(End videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: In effect, considering the sanctions as a declaration of war. After the ambassador spoke, he left the assembly, and—prompting you to say this. Let’s watch.

(Videotape, Yesterday):

MR. BOLTON: I’m not going to waste any of our time responding to what the representative of the DPRK has said, but I want to call your attention to that empty chair. It is the contemporary equivalent of Nikita Khrushchev pounding his shoe on the desk of the General Assembly.

(End videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: That’s back in 1960, and here’s Nikita Khrushchev pounding his fist on the desk in a very similar time period. Is it helpful to compare the North Koreans to Mr. Khrushchev?

MR. BOLTON: I think the North Koreans twice now in the space of three months rejecting unanimous Security Council resolutions and walking out on the meeting of the council while it’s still in session, a meeting they requested to participate in, I think shows a very unfortunate pattern of behavior on their part. Now, hopefully there’s somebody in Pyongyang who’s going to appreciate somewhat better the force of a unanimous Security Council resolution under Chapter 7. North Korea has the opportunity here to change course; the ball’s really in their court at this point.

MORE FROM MEET THE PRESS

Meet the Press Section Front

Nov. 15: Clinton, Duncan, Gingrich, Sharpton Nov. 8: Casey, Barbour, Rendell, roundtable, Brokaw Nov. 1: Tim Geithner, David Plouffe, roundtable Oct. 25: Cornyn, Schumer, Burnett, Sorkin, roundtable Oct. 18: Jarrett, Dodd, Kyl, Shriver, Podesta Oct. 11: Levin, Graham, McCaffrey, Myers, roundtable Oct. 4: Ambassador Susan Rice, roundtable Sept. 27: Bill Clinton, Paterson, Kyl, Webb Sept. 20: President Obama, Sen. Graham, Rep. Boehner, roundtable Sept. 13: Durbin, Cornyn, Dean, Gingrich, roundtable Meet the Press Section Front   Add Meet the Press headlines to your news reader: