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North Korea’s Fear? Becoming Libya

2018-05-21

John R. Bolton, President Trump’s new national security adviser, has said that negotiations with North Korea should follow “the Libya model.” Now, North Korea is threatening to call off the planned summit meeting with Mr. Trump. What risks does the Libya model hold for Kim Jong-un? Guest: Mark Landler, a White House correspondent for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
From New York Times I'm like about this tat. In last week the President's new national security adviser came out and said. Talks with North Korea should follow the libyan map. North Korea is threatening to call off the talks. What's so bad about the libyan its Monday May twenty calls on all occasions
the submitted report. None disentanglement were humpy, none, this Antonio guess all North Korea says it's me back. I have upcoming talks with Trans, saying quote: we'll have to reconsider whether we will accept the upcoming north Korean. U S, summit on Wednesday, their state media said. If Washington keeps pushing the north to get rid of its nuclear weapons, it won't come to the table Mark whaler. How does North Korea justify leave ring on this plan summit. The north korean argument is that they don't want to go into a negotiation where they give up their entire nuclear programme up front and only get some incentives afterward. He then went on to reject what we call them. Let me have you down. One is clear: I think, she's on an interesting way. They also
our fixated on, this issue have been labelled, as it is a manifestation of a serious and dishonest attempt to force the fate of the collapse to Libya in Iraq on the dignified street of career, not once but several times in their statements. They said the problem. Is we don't want replay of Libya. The world knows too well that the deep yarn case, not Libya or Iraq, which met the miserable end one single, so Libya might be actually at the heart of what the North Koreans are worried about. They don't want. We put into the same position that Libya was when it underwent a similar negotiation, So what happened in Libya that North Korea seems so fixated on and word about well to put it into context, let's go back to the period just after the
eleven attack. Libya's exotic looks might be a feast for the eyes, but getting there isn't easy, you ends sanctions mean there's no direct flight so attractive across the bay? in desert or an overnight boat from The new alternatives, more market be the leader of Libya is under very strict united nations. In. U S: sanctions his country is treated; virtually is up I stay. The international ban has crippled tributaries harbour and the economy as a whole and the victim the libyan people dying because of the sanctions, and so he's really trying to get out from under these sanctions, to figure out how to end the isolation of his country, but adding to that, he said leases President George W Bush invade Iraq, Saddam Hussein and his sons? Much, leave a rack within forty eight hours there,
usual to do so, will result in military conflict and he sees what happens to Saddam Hussein. The tyrant will soon be gone The day of your liberation is near, and he realizes that if he doesn't figure out another way out. He could face a similar fate, so he now publicly made an offer to the Bush administration as well as the british and the Russians, and what is the offer that cut off? He makes it really very simple: he was offering to box up his entire nuclear programme. Put it on a map can cargo planes and fly it out of the country while just walk away from any ambitions to have nuclear weapons? That's right and because his programme was relatively limited in scale, it was actually something he could put on the table so one
anyway. Twenty seven joint american and british team removed from Libya, fifty five thousand pounds of uranium hex of fluoride centrifuge equipment and other materials. They brought all of this material long with Libya's detailed nuclear weapons designs back to the United States, for evaluation, testing and destruction and what is cut off the demand in return for that he wanted to have thanks. Lifted he wanted to be readmitted to international organisations, a seat on the United Nations Security Council when it was Libya's turn he base. Quickly wanted to be readmitted to the club of nations. And importantly, although this was the sub text, He wanted to be guaranteed that he wouldn't face the kind of fate that Saddam Hussein faced in Iraq. He wanted some security guarantees as well. Colonel Gaddafi, correctly judge.
That is country would be better off and far more secure without weapons of mass murder. The Bush administration presented the Libya example as the ultimate good news story for disarmament. Good things would flow to the Libyans. Libya would find itself more prosperous, more widely accepted. All hostilities do not need to go on forever, and I hope that other leaders will find an example in Libya's announcement today and they hoped and were very open about, saying that the libyan model could be a model for other countries. Other nuclear states, including at the time North Korea, that if they follow this model, they would reap the same kinds of benefits. So this seems like a possible road map for North Korea and DE nuclear station, Well, yeah, except if you remember market off, he didn't come to it.
And this is the first arab Revolution of Authority- was read more. It will be pleasantly surprised, tense, new beginnings for Tunisia, its arab neighbours, nervous of how revolutionary feelings spread well in twenty ten and twenty eleven, the entire arab world was cut, up in the arab spring, including in Libya, Why do so many details this morning about what's happening in Libya, as the Obama administration is now estimating the death toll in Libya after two months of fighting could be as high as thirty thousand people and what you saw in Libya was a bitter tribal battle that really split the country into a number of factions and cut off. He was very brutally trying to put down this uprising. They lessons ass it or to Libya, says it's hard to gauge how many people died and more market office crack down and protestors, and also in the fighting between rebels and pro government forces, and the fears of it
monetary and catastrophe, actually drove the Obama administration and its NATO allies to mount an intensive air campaign to in effect, halt Gaddafi's force which were bearing down on the city of Benghazi. While in live, overnight, the heaviest NATO bombing raids. In weeks NATO targeted several locations in Tripoli, the capital of Libya, resident stated more market office. Compound was one of the targets. A building used by libyan military intelligence was also head, as was which did stop head off these forces in their tracks going forward. We will continue to send a clear message: the violence must stop where market He has lost legitimacy to lead and he must leave, but it had another if it actually led the rebels to feel empowered to go after canopy directly.
Fighters discovered at the daffy, hiding in undermining part, be neither roadway outside of the town. Absurd wary flood too. As convoy was said and then rebel spotted him pull them out of the five dragged him about fifty yards put about against a jeep and according to one fighter we talk to at the scene. He asked desperately what have I done to you, my sons, to which the fighter told us he replied more than forty years of killing. They forced him out of his power. Put him on the run and then subjected him too. Most humiliating possible fate. For a leader like this, several men bait, adopted before they shot him to death in full view of cameras and people's Iphones Hill. By his own people. So having waved raises the moment and all my life when I the dervish covered,
but I saw a man who covered Libya for for decades, with blood so has to his last long lasting who has been covered with a plan that he covered so cut off. He ends up dead in this very brutal public way. What's the connection between that and the dynamic irritation deal that Libya struck with the? U S, Well, the basic question here is: would NATO would the United States with the Europeans have felt so emboldened who intervened the way they did if Gaddafi still had nuclear weapons. If he had the nuclear shield
the argument that many other leaders make is that would have been the insurance policy that would have protected cut from facing that kind of a military attack. That's the one threat that you can make that might cause the: U S cause NATO cause the Europeans to think twice so whenever the subjective de nuclear rising North Korea comes up? The fate of catastrophe is always on the minds of the camp family and the levy. A precedent is party. Kill early at the top of their minds now he's gotta be a fantastic represent energy team is highly respected by everybody? In this room and John, I want to thank you very much. This is going to be because, as they face the prospect of a disarmament negotiation with
and from there is a new member of the Trump team, John Bolton Frumps, new National Security adviser ACE of Libya. I had the opportunity to work in close consultation with our british colleagues and diplomatic efforts to secure the verifiable elimination of libyan weapons of mass destruction, who happens to be the same guy who engineer the deal to disarm Libya back in two thousand three while and he has come forward just in the last couple of weeks and said he views Libya as his template for negotiating with North Korea. We have very much in mind the libyan model from two thousand three two thousand for their obviously differences living pro
him. The Libya disarmament deal was the kind of rapid, clean and thorough deal that he would love to see repeated with North Korea. A top north korean official called boldness comments, an awfully sinister move to impose on our dignified state the destiny- of Libya or Arap. We have really made clear what kind of a man balls and ease and do not conceal our sense of refusal of him. So Bolton is very much. The bogeyman in this whole equation work. Why which, on Bolton mentioned Libya when you'd think as National security visor? He knows well that it strikes fear in the hearts of the North Koreans? Well, I think that goes back to John Boltons View of how this process unfold. What he is talking about is very much what happened in two thousand three, two thousand for where lived
agreed on a voluntary basis to give up all its weapons up front. That is what is focused on he's, not focused on the bloody aftermath. What happened in twenty eleven, but do you suspect that jumbled and cut did know that this would be interpreted as a threat by North Korea that there was a double meaning here that he could pretend to be talking about two thousand for, but we mean two thousand and eleven and Kim's worst fears wisely This requires climbing into John Boltons had a little bit. But if you look at his record, if you look at what he has said about North Korea over the years, he has never hesitated from taking the most maximal threatening position, so I think it. Probably fair to say and John Bolton is a very smart guy. He knew exactly what he was doing. I think by invoking Libya he's also sending the king regime a message which is, if you don't do this one way you may wind
doing it another way. I think that the maximum pressure campaign that the Trump Administration has put on North Korea has, along with the politico military pressure, her has brought us to this point- relieving that pressure isn't gonna, make negotiation easier, could make it harder. Ok, so after North Korea threatens to back out of this summit because of its worry about replicating what happened in Libya, how does the Trump administration respond? Well, oddly enough, president tromp very quickly walks away from what his national Security adviser John Bolton set. While the libyan model isn't a model that we have at all, he basically says
the libyan model is not the model that we're looking at what we think of North Korea. In Libya we decimated that country that country was decimated. There was no deal to keep Gaddafi and, in fact, the model that we're looking at would have Kim Jong on staying in power. This would be with John Jeong, something where he'd be there, he be in his country, it be running his country. His country would be very wretched. People are tremendously industrious. If you look at South Korea, though he's in effect extending a security guarantee to him saying that, if you give up your weapons, I will guarantee that you. Survive, and not only that that you will thrive, but he's also saying you
what what happened in Libya? Was really bad and in that sense, he's recognising Kim Jong owns version of what the Libya model represents. Your right he's in fact embracing the North Korea narrative, because what he is saying is we really decimated that country we got rid of the leader we don't plan to do that with you provided you're willing to give up your weapons? Is then a surprising position, fur present from to take to basically embrace Kim's version of Libya, which is that, if a bad news story for North Korea,
Well, it's interesting at one level, it is surprised to see the president in effect embrace the North Korea narrative and also distance himself from his own national security vice. But when you stepped back and look at the history of Libya is perhaps somewhat less surprising, because other people, Democrats and Republicans have agreed over time that what happened with Libya is really a cautionary tale Since I am sure this is a sign of metal journey for you, I'd like to do a lightning round about the past eight years. Quick questions, quick answer is worth mistake, Only failing to plan for. The day after one, I think, was the right thing to do intervening in Libya is a country that agreed to give up its nuclear arsenal and later was subjected to a NATO air campaign that left the cat.
Three and a shambles with no leadership at all and continue even today to be in a state of near anarchy. So Libya is by all means not a good example for anybody not for NATO, not for the United States and not for North Korea. So at some level for Donald Trump to distance himself from the Libya precedent. Is probably a helpful thing, and one could argue even that John Bolton, perhaps shouldn't have raised it in the first place. Exactly it feels like trying to present Libya as positive model from North Korea feels like an inherently flaw, but idea. If the goal here is to give the north Koreans and incentive to sit down at the table and make concessions, it's probably the worst possible precedent that can raise. The libyan model that was mentioned was a much different deal. We never said ticket daffy, oh we're going to give you protection, we're going to give you military strength. We're gonna, give you all of these things
we went in and decimated him What is even more interesting is what president from went on to say next now that model would take place if we don't make a deal most likely after telling the North Koreans that at some level, he understood- and braced their reservations about the libyan model. He then said, if Kim Jong, and did not make a deal with the United States. He might suffer the fate of catastrophe, so there's a paradox in what president saying he thing. On the one hand, I understand why you wouldn't like the Libya precedent. But if you don't agree to give up your nuclear weapons, you may end up suffering the same thing. So in a sense we ve come come full circle here and present Trump is now threatening. Can that
it end up like a daffy, but not as the inevitable outcome of de nuclear rising, but as a result of what might happen if he doesn't do nuclear eyes well, I think the argument that the president would make is, if you dig it up all your weapons voluntarily, we can give you some form of security assurance, in other words, I believe,
The trumpets suggesting he's willing to go further than foreign leaders were back in two thousand and three with Gaddafi, which is to say, if you make this deal with us, we will help ensure that you stay in power, and the question is: is that a security guarantee the United States can really afford to make and can present Trump actually offer Kim Jong on security can actually assure him, given everything we have just discussed, that he can give up his nuclear weapons and remain in power. Will that's a really interesting question, because what the United States can say to North Korea's we commit. We will not invade your country, we will not attack your country. We will not support any one else attacking our country, but the one thing that the United States can't do is guarantee. They came won't.
Face and uprising from his own people and to go full circle? It's an uprising of his people that eventually took it off he out of power and get require the intervention of NATO in the United States, but the arab spring was an internal popular revolt and that's one thing. The United States cannot protect Kim Jong on from and Kim knows that, which is probably why chemist so reluctant to give up his nuclear weapons. So the? U S is kind of embraced, Kim's, ultimate fear of being forced from power in the end right yeah, that's right, I mean they are basically presenting came with this very difficult choice, which is, if you agree to give up your weapons, you will have a shot at surviving, even though we understand your fear that, by giving up your weapons, you might be putting your long term survival at risk,
That's the underlying paradox. In way that President Tromp is approaching this negotiation mark. Thank you very much pleasure, Michael, we'll be back as a surgeon and president of Howard, university your waned, Frederick leaves even are tough. His times can lead to strength and change. This is a difficult stormy do it, but it was strengthened in a way that no clash of electricity could ever have I'm only shipper host of the past. That meet all the difference I talked to achieve it, about how their managing the current moment and charging a course for the future, find that made all the prince anywhere, you get your podcast created by Bank of America
What else you need to know in an inn, you with the Times president trumps lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said the special council hopes to finish a key part of its investigation into whether the president obstructed justice. September, First Giuliani said Mothers office had provided the timeline during negotiations over, whether Trump would sit for an interview and that mothers team had said the deed was contingent on him doing so,
Giuliani told the times that waiting any longer than September first risks improperly influencing voters in November's mid term elections and on Sunday, as part of a series of tweets venting about the special council investigation. President Trump took things a step further and ordered the Justice Department to actually open a new inquiry into whether it or the FBI had infiltrated his presidential campaign. At the request of the Obama administration. In response, the Department of Justice said it would ask its inspector general to expand in existing review of the Russia to include the president's requests. Finally, join me now, the next president of the National Rifle Association Oliver, nor shall I welcome back to Fox NEWS and Chris in an interview on Sunday with Fox NEWS, is Chris walls
the new head of the ignorant Oliver noise gleamed leaving school shooting in Santa FE texts on american culture and medicine and resisted calls for any gun control. The problem we ve got we're trying like the dickens to treat the symptom without treating the disease and the disease in this case isn't the second amendment the disease. Youngsters who are steeped in a culture of violence, been drugged in many cases. If you look at what happened to the young people. Many of these young boys been unreal, insincere and kindergartens on Friday. Seventeen year Old Texas, shooter killed eight students and two teachers, despite the fact that his school had an active shooter plan and to armed guards on duty
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Transcript generated on 2020-07-01.