[Shields:] Welcome back. President Bush modified his stand on dealing with North Korea's nuclear weapons development.
[Ari Fleischer, White House Press Secretary:] We will not negotiate, but we will talk to North Korea about North Korea's intentions and how they intend to come back into compliance with the obligations that they committed to.
[Pak Gil Yon, North Korean Ambassador To The United Nations:] The United States now say that we may talk to you how to
[Shields:] North Korea initiated nine hours of talks with New Mexico's Democratic governor, Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
[Gov. Bill Richardson , New Mexico:] There will be a peaceful resolution of the current situation through diplomacy and through dialogue. It is my hope that we will see a direct dialogue soon.
[Shields:] Meanwhile, United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix reported to the U.N. Security Council on Iraqi weapons.
[Hans Blix, Chief U.n. Weapons Inspector:] I said that we still get prompt access from the Iraqi side, that the inspections are covering ever wider areas and ever more sites in Iraq, that in the course of these inspections, we have not found any smoking gun.
[John Negroponte, U.s. Ambassador To The United Nations:] What we have seen of Iraq's actions over the past six weeks does not constitute active cooperation.
[Shields:] Kate O'Beirne, are the signals from the Bush White House for war in Iraq and not for war in Korea?
[O'beirne:] Mark, it seems to me that one reason bad policies are bad, which the Clinton policy on North Korea was, is because it leaves you with bad options. And I think the bad options we have confronting a nuclear North Korea helps focus the mind on how important it is that we never face a nuclear Iraq, because Iraq, unlike North Korea, has attacked its neighbors, openly supports Islamic terrorists, and would control the Middle East oil supply. We can handle Iraq militarily because we're superior militarily, and I expect we will do so. It does not leave us a clear military option in dealing with a nuclear North Korea.
[Shields:] So the conclusion from this, Al Hunt, seems to be, on the axis of evil, we get very tough with axis of evil countries that don't have nuclear weapons...
[O'beirne:] While we can.
[Shields:] ... but if you have a nuclear weapon, we're going to give you a pass, play patty cake, and ask you to talk to the Democratic governor of New Mexico.
[Hunt:] Well, Kate, I'd remind you that Korea did attack its neighbor, South Korea... ... but the also...
[Shields:] ... 53,000 Americans paid there...
[Hunt:] ... they blew an airplane out of the sky too some years ago. Right, exactly.
[Novak:] ... they're a real bad bunch of guys.
[Hunt:] They've done some really, really bad things. But this administration's policy, as I understand it is, well, first of all, blame it on the Clinton administration, and secondly say, you know, We don't talk to them until they capitulate. Now we're saying, this administration says, We're not going to negotiate, but we're going to talk. And who's going to do the talking? The Clinton administration's United Nations ambassador. Huh? That will tell you something.
[Carlson:] Right.
[Hunt:] Look, I think there are clear distinctions, I agree with Kate on that, between Iraq and North Korea. But I'll tell you one thing they share in common. And that is that we can't go it alone. There've been four there've been four elections in major countries in recent months, in Germany, Brazil, South Korea, and Pakistan, the one common element they have is the anti-American side and theme has worked. We can't go it alone, whether it's Korea or whether it's Iraq.
[Shields:] Bob Novak, is Al Hunt right?
[Novak:] He's mostly right. I don't worry about these elections being anti-American, that's a good card to play for the local politicians. But I think one of the most delicious moments I have seen in a long time was this
[Shields:] That helped him in the Clinton administration.
[Novak:] But, but the but, but the, but the interesting the interesting thing is that Colin Powell, the secretary of state, trying to tone down some of the absolutely belligerent attitudes in this administration, and he gave the OK to Bill Richardson. He said, Go ahead and do it. And he Colin Powell, his winning on Korea, not getting us into some kind of belligerent thing, that just, just... The Iraq thing, the reason Iraq is important is because it has to do with Israel and the Middle East. That's why we're interested in them, that's all part of that. And again, Colin Powell is trying very hard to have a more reasoned approach.
[Shields:] Margaret, go ahead.
[Carlson:] Mark, I think we should all sleep better tonight knowing that peace is at hand between New Mexico and North Korea. And by the way...
[Shields:] Santa Fe-Pyongyang... ... that axis.
[Hunt:] The axis.
[Carlson:] Yes. If diplomacy works here, maybe the Bush administration will say, Hey, if it works in North Korea, maybe it will work in Iraq. I mean, there's no intellectual consistency when the country that's thrown out inspectors is having talks with the United States...
[Shields:] Right.
[Carlson:] ... and the country swarming with inspectors can't be talked to. So here we are in this, you know, this intellectual odd man out, and yet it is the right thing to be doing. Diplomacy is frustrating, but given the other choices, it's the best thing to do. And Kate has a point. Once a country has nuclear weapons or is about to have them, you do have to treat them differently. And so this is the right way to go.
[Shields:] A comment, and then a question. If I'm not mistaken, the president began his term by undercutting Colin Powell and the South Korean leadership by refusing to talk at that point with North Korea.
[Carlson:] Right.
[Shields:] But did we see a little muffling of the war drums sort of this week, as far as Iraq was concerned? I mean, our allies and even Tony Blair sort of saying, Hold off?
[Carlson:] Five thousand new troops have moved there.
[Novak:] The problem is, we've got all these troops
[O'beirne:] We are finding that out. The world does not wait for you. And I think the administration is going to have to make some sort of a move. And until they do, Bob, they're not going to get our allies to step forward smartly, until we make until we let them know we're ready to make some move. That includes Turkey, that includes France, and that includes...
[Shields:] Turkey, Turkey
[Carlson:] ... we had Blair.
[Hunt:] ... have to go back to the U.N.?
[O'beirne:] No, I don't think they have to go back to the
[U.n. Hunt:] See, I think they do have to go back.
[Carlson:] You know, I think the fact that we...
[Hunt:] I think to do something without going back to the U.N. really is to, is to, is to
[O'beirne:] Do they need U.N. approval? Or just to make their case?
[Hunt:] They certainly have to go back to the
[U.n. O'beirne:] I can see discussing things with the U.N., but they sure don't need...
[O'beirne:] ... need approval.
[Shields:] Margaret?
[Carlson:] The fact that his best friend, Tony Blair, was with him and now is pulling back, I think, is actually a bad sign for moving forward on Iraq...
[Hunt:] It certainly elevates this whole thing...
[Carlson:] ... the British.
[Hunt:] ... going back to what
[Novak:] Richardson for president, is that, is that what we're talking about?
[Hunt:] Well, or vice president.
[Novak:] Oh, vice president, OK.
[Shields:] Last word, Al Hunt. Next on CAPITAL GANG, Daschle out, Gephardt in.