North Korea Reaches Out to U.S.
ANNOUNCER: North Korea reaches out to the U.S., even as it says it's pulling out of a nuclear arms control treaty.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today's announcement is of serious concern to the North Korean neighbors and to the entire international community.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I felt as I was on a magical mystery tour.</s>ANNOUNCER: After playing second banana in 2000, Joe Lieberman gets ready for a leading role in the early presidential race. Getting to the Hart of it. Does he want to carry famous baggage into another run for the White House? Cashing in. After years of offering their two cents, payback time in the "Political Play of the Week."</s>ANNOUNCER: Live from Washington, this is INSIDE POLITICS with Judy Woodruff.</s>JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you for joining us. The diplomatic scramble is on to respond to what South Korea calls a matter of life and death. North Korea's decision to pull out of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. In this news cycle, two North Korean envoys have been meeting with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson a former U.N. ambassador and diplomatic troubleshooter. At the same time, North Korean officials are blaming the Bush administration for ratcheting up nuclear tension. And they are warning, any sanctions against their country could make matters worse.</s>PAK GIL YON, NORTH KOREAN AMB. TO U.N.: We will consider, reconsider now, even now, any kind of economic sanctions that could be taken by the Security Council of the United Nations against the PPRK as a declaration of war.</s>WOODRUFF: North Korea insists it does not intend to produce nuclear weapons, but officials here in Washington and in other world capitals are clearly worried. Our Suzanne Malveaux at the White House. What are they saying?</s>SUZANNE MALVEAUX, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Secretary of State Colin Powell called it a very serious situation but said the administration would not be deterred. He met with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed El Baradei. El Baradei said if they do not comply, could bring the case before the U.N. Security Council where it could face economic sanctions. Now, Today the White House reached out to allies to put pressure on North Korea. President Bush earlier today calling China's Jiang Zemin. They had a 15 minute conversation. We're told the two leaders agreed that, yes, this is international concern. Also President Bush making the case that the administration has no intention of invading North Korea. Now, the White House really on the defensive. Their economic as well as diplomatic pressures saying they believe that is the best strategy that is going to work to make North Korea change its course. And today they pointed to international support.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While not unexpected, given North Korea's behavior, today's announcement is of serious concern to North Korea's neighbors and to the entire international community. Their actions threaten to undermine decades of nonproliferation efforts and only further isolate the regime. North Korea's relations with the entire international community depend on their taking prompt and verifiable action to completely dismantle their nuclear weapons program.</s>MALVEAUX: Now, the administration really taking part in some of the support, some of the statements coming from Japan, Russia as well as France, just to name a few. They say, yes, the administration is willing to talk to North Korea, but not to negotiate. But soon the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs, James Kelly, will be going to the region. He is going to be meeting with representing from South Korea, Japan, China and others as well, to push, even more so, for them to put that economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea to comply -- Judy.</s>WOODRUFF: All right a great deal under way on the diplomatic front. Thanks, Suzanne. Well, talks between the North Korean diplomats and Governor Bill Richardson resume in New Mexico just about two hours from now. CNN's Bob Franken is in Santa Fe with more on those meetings. And on Richardson unexpected role in trying to ease the nuclear standoff -- Bob.</s>BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What better way to have the administration talk with the North Koreans without negotiating with them than using a former high-profile member of the Clinton administration. Decidedly not a member of the Bush administration, acting all the while on the instructions from the secretary of state. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has been in constant contact, to use the spokesman's word, constant contact with Secretary of State Colin Powell. Meetings that seemed to go on longer than expected. Richardson was contacted by the North Koreans because they knew him both by face-to-face contact with the United Nations and also because he has taken earlier in his political career several very sensitive trips to North Korea for negotiations. They know Richardson. They like him. So the administration, this is a chance for the policies of this government to be presented to the North Koreans without an official stamp on them. Now, we are told that in the meetings today there was a discussion, very substantive discussion and extended one, about the Korean withdrawal, North Korean withdrawal from the nuclear proliferation treaty. As far as the meetings themselves, they're going to extend into this evening, longer than many people expected. Maybe even through tomorrow. We talked to the spokesman for Governor Richardson to find out if that had any great significance.</s>BILLY SPARKS, RICHARDSON SPOKESMAN: I think that both the governor and the North Koreans are interested in substantive talks. As I said they're positive in atmosphere but very frank. We decided to continue the talks at 4:00 this afternoon and I don't know how long they'll last into the night.</s>FRANKEN: You'll recognize, Judy, terms like positive, frank, candid, diplomatic terms that mean they'll really dealing with substance. It's being characterized as an effort to come up with preliminary discussions about more official discussions later on -- Judy.</s>WOODRUFF: All right, Bob. Reporting from Santa Fe. Thanks very much. And we did hear Secretary of State Colin Powell say earlier he expects to talk with Governor Richardson after these meetings conclude. Thanks very much. And coming up, we'll discuss the nuclear standoff with former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, James Lily. The standoff with North Korea may have temporarily overshadowed the showdown with Iraq. But moves toward a possible war with Baghdad go on. Three U.S. Navy ships began to deploy today from their home base in Virginia. The ship and some 7,000 Marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina are expected to be sent to the Persian Gulf region. Meantime, Turkey announced today it has agreed to allow the U.S. to survey some of its military bases and ports for possible use if there's a war with Iraq.</s>COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We are positioning ourselves for whatever eventuality might occur. As the president also said, he hopes for a peaceful solution, but we will be ready to act otherwise if that is what is required to make sure that Iraq is disarmed of its weapons of mass destruction.</s>WOODRUFF: Secretary Powell spoke after meeting with the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency. Muhammad El Baradei says they need more intelligence from Washington and more cooperation from Baghdad. On the economic front, a mixed report today on unemployment. The nation's overall jobless rate held steady at 6 percent in December. But the economy suffered a loss of more than 100,000 jobs. Underscoring the dismal holiday shopping season for retailers, and the political stakes for President Bush.</s>ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: The president used the latest report on unemployment as another reason why it's so important for Congress to pass the president's job creating economic plan. The president views this morning's announcement as the reason by Democrats and Republicans need to join together so we can serve the country and pass a program that helps create jobs.</s>WOODRUFF: Still, some Democrats pressed their criticism of the president's $674 billion stimulus package, charges it will "grow the size of a financial disaster that lies ahead of this country." Much more ahead on</s>INSIDE POLITICS. BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Bill Schneider In Miami. Flashback to the days of dynasty disco and big hair -- I used to have big hair -- and the "Political Play Of the Week" will trickle down, too.</s>SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R), PENNSYLVANIA: Someone told me the other day I might lose my office as senator because I had conduct unbecoming a senator.</s>WOODRUFF: Well, what did Senator Rick Santorum do? He'll talk about it in our subway series. And later, an interview with Gary Hart. Why does the man at center of a famous political scandal think now may be the time to run for president again? This is INSIDE POLITICS, the place for campaign news.