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CNNW Wolf April 24, 2017

White house lunch with ambassadors from the United Nations Security Council, President Trump spoke about the threat from north korea and about what he sees as a chance for a new beginning for the United Nations. The mission of the United Nations and the u. N. Security council is to maintain International Peace and security. These are important aims and shared interests. But as we look around the world, its clear that theres much work for you to achieve. Youre going to be very busy people i suspect over the coming months and years. Our nation faces serious and growing threats and many of them stem from problems that have been unaddressed for far too long. In fact, the United Nations doesnt like taking on certainly problems, but i have a feeling the people in this room and i know for a fact that nikki feels very strong about taking on problems that people steered away from. I encourage the Security Council to come together and take action to counter all of these many threats. On syria, the council failed again this month to respond to syrias use of chemical weapons. A great disappointment. I was very disappointed by that. The status quo in north korea is also unacceptable. And the council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on north Korean Nuclear and Ballistic Missile programs. This is a real threat to the world. Whether we want to talk about it or not. North korea is a big world problem. And its a problem we have to finally solve. People have put blindfolds on for decades and now its time to solve the problem. The United States just one of 193 countries in the u. N. Pays for 22 of the budget and almost 30 of the United Nations Peace Keeping which is unfair. We need the Member States to come together to eliminate inefficiency and to ensure that no one nation shoulders a disproportionate share of the burden militarily or financially. This is only fair to our taxpayers. I look forward a discussion about our shared role in keeping the peace, advancing reforms, and getting everyone to do their fair share. I also want to say to you that i have long felt the United Nations is an underperformer but has tremendous potential. There are those people that think its an underperformer and will never perform. Im so happy with the job that nikki is doing and our representatives, but nikki and the group and i see the relationship that shes already developed. I think that the United Nations has tremendous potential, tremendous potential. Far greater than what i would say any other candidate in the last 30 years would have even thought to say. I dont think its i know it hasnt lived up to the potential. I see a day when theres a conflict with the United Nations, you get together and you solve the conflict. You just dont see the United Nations solving conflicts. I think thats going to start happening now. Senior White House Correspondent jim acosta inside the White House Briefing room getting ready for the sean spicer briefing. Senior International Correspondent ivan watson joining us live from seoul south korea. Jim, what should we expect to hear from the White House Press secretary as far as strategy on north korea, the latest u. S. Steps . We heard a strong statement there from the president. We absolutely heard a very strong statement from the president there, wolf. That was a gathering of ambassadors to the United Nations and some pretty undiplomatic talk almost lecturing those ambassadors saying that the u. N. Has not lived up to its potential, hes not going to be worried about how much money the United States gives the United Nations if they can have successes and they also lectured about how they did not do much when it came to syria and its use of chemical weapons. And i think on top of that, just those comments on north korea where you heard the president say this is a problem thats going to be solved, it is essentially saying that during his administration hes going to solve this problem with north korea. But you talk as you know to Foreign Policy experts, you talk to former secretaries of state, former ambassadors to the United Nations going back administration after administration, north koreas one of those problems that challenges every white house to come up with a solution and at this point it has been for the past couple of decades to trade water. So i suppose well be asking sean spicer about that when he comes into the room about half an hour. What new is the president proposing when it comes so solving this problem with north korea. Hes been asked about this issue the past couple of weeks what he has said time and again is hes going to be leaning more and more on china to get to the bottom of this, to apply that pressure to north korea, to curtail its behavior. That is a strategy that administrations have been using for some time to no success. We should point out we did obtain these talking points that the administration is using for its first 100 days to highlight its achievements. North korea is not on there. But in the Foreign Policy National Security section of those talking points, wolf, it does mention the syria missile strikes that the president authorized a couple of weeks ago. And also talks about that travel ban that is tied up in court. But no question about it, the president is trying to make the case that during his first 100 days, yes, a lot of people were saying he didnt accomplish much. Legislatively he has relied on executive orders. All of that is true. But hes making Foreign Policy front and center. When you say things along the lines of were going to solve this problem with north korea, were going do make that happen, hes setting the expectations awfully high for his team here at the white house. Ivan, youre in seoul. The president , his kmecomments e as the u. S. Waits for word while another u. S. Citizen obtained in north korea. What can you tell us about this most recent u. S. Sncitizen who been detain snd. He goes by the name tony kim. Hed been teaching for weeks. He was on his way out of the country on saturday from Pyongyang Airport and thats when the north korean Security Forces detained him. We have not had any official confirmation of this from the north korean authorities. Were getting this mostly from the embassy of sweden in pyongyang because of course the surs do u. S. Does not have an embassy in north korea. Does not have formal diplomatic relations. The ftactic theyve used is one theyve used in the past. Grabbing them either at the airport or in one case off of the plane when he was about to take off. There are at least two other american citizens that we know of who are in detention in north korea and their situation is very dire. University of virginia student who was arrested in 2016, he faces a 15 year hard labor sentence for pulling a sign off a wall in his hotel. A businessman by the name of kim dongchul, korean american who was detained in 2015 facing a decade of hard labor or espianage charges. In the past cases of americans who have been grabbed at the airport, it usually takes them at least months to be released, wolf. And usually they have to make a televised confession or apology before that can take place. Amidst all of this, the u. S. Aircraft carrier, the carl vin son finishing up exercises with the japanese agency. Are there similar plans in place when it gets closer to south korea . Well, the south korean Officials Say theyre talking about this and of course youve got to put this in context. The u. S. Has been conducting joint military exercises with different branches of the south Korean Military for all of the past month. This is an annual series of exercises and it really, really irritates north korea which every year claims these are exercises preparing for a possible invasion of north korea, which both the south korean and u. S. Governments deny. But the arrival of this Aircraft Carrier strike group in the region which was expected much earlier. It came later than expected. Thats been the source of some controversy. The North Koreans, the state propaganda has been going after that claiming that this could also be part of an invasion and theyve been putting out warnings saying they could destroy the Aircraft Carrier with a single blow. Also claiming they could destroy the u. S. Allies with five million nuclear bombs. Thats kind of standard hyperbole coming from north korean state media. The fact that now youve got a u. S. Citizen whos just been at the detained, that may complicate matters. Nikki haley told journalists that she thinks the North Koreans are using tony kim as a bargaining chip. Ivan in south korea, jim acosta, thanks very much. Lots of news today. The white house has said that all options are on the table for dealing with north korea. But when asked today about a preemptive u. S. Military strike, the u. S. Ambassador to the United Nations nikki haley said the United States would only strike if provoked. If you see him attack a military base f you see some sort of entintercontinental Ballistic Missile, then were going to do that. If he tests another missile, if he were to test another nuclear device, when you say obviously were going to do that, do you mean military retaliation . I think then the president steps in and decides whats going to happen. Here with us is sam nunn. Former chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee. Also the founder and cochairman of the Nuclear Threat initiative. Senator, thanks so much for joining us. Let me get your Quick Reaction to what nikki haley just said. If the North Koreans were to test another nuclear bomb, if they were to test more Ballistic Missiles. She says i think then the president steps in and decides whats going to happen. What should happen if the North Koreans take those provocative steps . Well, i think all options ought to be on the table. Military option. But i also think the diplomatic option ought to be on the table. Thats where we do not seem to have a strategy at this point in time. I certainly agree with the emphasis that the president is putting on the u. N. And the potential of the u. N. , even though often short of its goals. One thing that we have not really focused on in the last two administrations is u. N. Resolution 2270 which gives a mandate to all countries to search every vessel, every plane coming in or out of nourrth kor. Thats important from the Pressure Point of view. Its also important from preventing the leakage of Nuclear Materials which could be used for catastrophic terrorism. This is an area that china voted for in the u. N. Security council. An area where we can really Work Together and a area where the United States can strengthen our allies in Southeast Asia in terms of their capacity to search the ships. Its a very powerful tool that has been aproved. It seems prattthe president strategy is to try be more aggressive and take steps to convince the north korean regime to step back. Thats exactly right and i think thats what the president should be doing. Im glad hes talking to his counter part. When you say he doesnt have a strategy, that seems to be a strategy. Im saying a diplomatic strategy. I certainly agree talking to china is a very big part of it. Our goal in korea is to have a stable nonnuclear Korean Peninsula. That can only be accomplished with the help of china without a war. You think its realistic that the north korean regime of kim jongun is going to up of their Nuclear Weapons . Im not sure. Our short term should be a freeze of their missile tests as well as their weapons. One thing we ought to do on the diplomatic side is have informal bilateral talks with north korea. Number one reason is to prevent some kind of miscalculation that could lead to absolutely catastrophe. Mistakes can be made. I think that kind of informal dialogue would be in and of itself you want direct talks between u. S. Representatives and north korean representatives. I wouldnt call it negotiations. Id call it dialogue at this stage. Its important to make sure theres no tragic miscalculation. Also its important because thats what china has been urging us to do for the last couple of years and we havent been willing to do it. It could make a difference in chinas willingness to step up and have a lot more pressure on north korea, including the sanctions i just mentioned. Clearly the president right now, i believe accepts what former president obama told him in the final days of the Obama Administration that north korea right now represents the greatest National Security threat facing the United States. Do you believe that . I think its a real threat. As they develop the capacity to deliver Nuclear Weapons, they already have Nuclear Weapons, deliver them to targets, i think thats an enormously destabilizing. South korea and japan already but potentially for the United States. Lets say they have another nuclear test. Theyve had five in recent years. They have a sixth right now. Lets say they have another Ballistic Missile test. What should the u. S. Do . I think we ought to get china involved. I think we ought to crack down on the sanctions. I think we should have military options which are viable. We should strengthen the alliance between the United States and south korea. And japan, the military side of it. And we should talk directly to the North Koreans informally because that kind of informality is important. Its not a formal negotiation. It should not be preconditions. But weve got to make sure we dont have a war that nobody wants. Because if theres any military confrontation, you know that North Koreans, they have a million troops north of the dmz with thousands of artillery pieces. Seoul, the capital of south korea is 30 miles below the Demilitarized Zone. That area could be leveled within days. Yes. We would win any war with north korea and i hope theyre smart enough, i think they are, to know thact. But south korea, our ally could be decimated while millions of people could get killed and there are almost 30,000 u. S. Soldiers along that zone. Thats right. A war is not in anybodys interest. We have to have a military option to on the burner, but it shouldnt be on the front burner. When you say informal talks, mean diplomatic back channel . Well, it could be any of those but i think at some point it would be ideal to have officials from north korea including possible military officials and including those that have responsibility over the Demilitarized Zone to talk to their counter parts in the United States in terms of is it smart for the u. S. To be deploys the u. S. S. Carl vinson to the Korean Peninsula . Well, i think it is important to show military strength. Its important for japan and for south korea. But its also important to have discussions so we dont have a mistake, miss calculation that could lead to a war that neither north korea, south korea or japan or the United States wants. All those things need to be. This is not a sequential sort of thing. Weve got to do a number of things parallel. The ones i mentioned i would at least from my point of view put on the front burner. Senator sam nunn, thanks for joining us. Thank you, wolf. Coming up, moments away from the White House Press briefing. Looking at live pictures coming in from the Briefing Room. Specd to address this issue north korea. Plus the president s first 100 days, upcoming tax reform announcement. Well have live coverage. Thats coming up. Plus the president stepping up calls for border wall funding as capitol hill scrambles to a voter a Government Shutdown. Well discuss that and more. Republican congressman standing by. Well talk with him when we come back. Hey allergy muddlers are you one sneeze away from being voted out of the carpool . Try zyrtec® its starts working hard at hour one and works twice as hard when you take it again

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