Transcripts For KQED PBS NewsHour 20170705 : vimarsana.com

KQED PBS NewsHour July 5, 2017

Woodruff all that and more, on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by moving our economy for 160 years. Bnsf, the engine that connects us. Supporting social entrepreneurs and their solutions to the worlds most pressing problems skollfoundation. Org. The lemelson foundation. Committed to improving lives through invention, in the u. S. And developing countries. On the web at lemelson. Org. Supported by the john d. And catherine t. Macarthur foundation. Committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. More information at macfound. Org and with the ongoing support of these institutions this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Woodruff from north korea today, new defiance. The communist regimes leader, kim jongun, insisted he will never negotiate away his missile and nuclear programs. But, the worlds highest diplomatic body held an emergency session on how to get the north to do just that. Nick schifrin begins our coverage. Reporter this afternoon in the u. N. Security council, the u. S. Tried to rally the world to punish and isolate north korea. It is a dark day, because yesterdays actions by north korea made the world a more dangerous place. Reporter u. S. Ambassador nikki haley said north koreas test of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile requires a global response. We will work with every and they have not had any care for russia or china in this. They have not listened to anything youve said. Theyre not going to listen to anything you say. And so, its time we all stand together and say, we will not put up with this action. Reporter haley is trying to lead a diplomatic effort to change north korean behavior. The u. S. Needs chinese and russian help, but beijing and moscow have their own strategy. translated we call for all interested states to act with restraint, rather than provocation and warmongering. translated we call on all the concerned parties to exercise restraint, avoid provocative actions and belligerent rhetoric, demonstrate the will for unconditional dialogue. Reporter tuesdays Missile Launch crossed the intercontinental threshold the u. S. Had been hoping to prevent. In science terms, the missile advance was an incremental, but u. S. Officials tell the newshour it was in a new, previously unseen configuration. It was fired from a mobile launcher, had a reentry vehicle, and was twostage, as seen on north korean tv. The immediate american response was its own launch. The u. S. And south korean militaries fired tactical missiles today that can be rapidly deployed. And south korea released a video of what an attack on north korea would look like. explosion . Blowing up north korean missiles. explosion . And video game graphics of a south korean jet bombing pyongyang. But as of now, the focus is very much on diplomacy and increasing pressure on north korea. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson released a statement hours after the Missile Launch, saying any country that helps north korea is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime, and that all countries must show north korea there are consequences to their pursuit of Nuclear Weapons. In a tweet this morning, President Trump expressed frustration that china hasnt done more, writing, so much for china working with us. But we had to give it a try so, the administration is casting a wide net. Today, mr. Trump talked with egyptian president Abdel Fattah Elsisi by phone. North korea sells Missile Technology and receives remittances from africa to southeast asia. To try and stop that income, today the u. S. Delivered a threat, to china and others. There are countries that are allowing, even encouraging, trade with north korea, in violation of u. N. Security Council Resolutions. Such countries would also like to continue their trade arrangements with the u. S. Thats not going to happen. Reporter the u. S. Military in south korea says it is being selfrestrained. That policy will remain until the diplomacy plays out. For the pbs newshour, im Nick Schifrin. Woodruff we will take a detailed look at the question of sanctions and north korea, right after the news summary. In the days other news, the city of hamburg, germany braced for mass demonstrations, involving up to 100,000 people, at this weekends summit of the leaders of 20 top industrialized nations. Last night, police used Water Cannons to disperse crowds. Today saw hundreds of people dressed as zombies, staging a peaceful march. Tomorrow, activists plan what they call a welcome to hell march, to greet President Trump and the leaders of russia, china and turkey. Mr. Trump arrived in warsaw, poland, this evening, to begin his european trip. Tomorrow, he will hold talks with his polish counterpart, before delivering a speech in warsaw square. Poland hosts several thousand u. S. Troops as part of its nato defenses. An american soldier has been killed in afghanistan. The pentagon says private first class Hansen Kirkpatrick of wasilla, alaska, died in a mortar attack on monday. It happened in helmand province, in the south. Two other soldiers were wounded. Seven u. S. Troops have been killed in afghanistan this year. In syria, artillery and air strikes pounded away today at raqqa, the Islamic States the selfstyled capital. Kurdishled militia fighters backed by u. S. Coalition planes are steadily advancing into the city. John ray of independent Television News is there, and filed this report. Reporter into the city of jihadi john and countless barbarities, a road stretching back to terror in london, manchester and beyond. It lies in ruins now. We pass the body of an isis fighter, his caliphate decomposing with him. Beyond the sand barrier is the wall of ancient medina, that has now fallen to kurds. We have obtained exclusive pictures from a drone above this urban battlefield. They show the devastating power of the wests war planes and missiles. The socalled Islamic State is being wiped off the map. The route to the front line involves a sprint across sniper alley, and careful steps over rubble that often conceals mines. speaking arabic we are close enough to hear isis radio. Now is time for jihad, the commander urges his beleaguered forces. The kurds are claiming this is a great victory. They have taken the old city walls after a monthslong blood soaked slog through the streets of raqqa. But ahead of them now, heavily armed isis fighters, booby trapped buildings and suicide bombers. These soldiers took up arms against isis from the start. They believe they are moving in for the kill. I want a free raqqa for my family. For everyone in here. For every family in syria. Reporter is isis finished in raqqa now . Its finished, yes. Reporter inside the old city, perhaps 100,000 civilians are trapped, caught between air strikes and 4,000 isis fighters. Those who cant escape, run. Home is this makeshift camp in the desert. We have left hell behind, they tell us. But in one corner, separated from the rest, the brides and children of isis. The husbands or fathers are dead or in jail. Here, isis might measure its future in weeks or months, but its days are numbered. Woodruff that report from john ray, of independent Television News. A gunfight between two armed gangs in northern mexico left at least 14 people dead early today. It happened in chihuahua state, when members of rival drug cartels got into a shootout. Drug violence has pushed homicides in mexico to their highest point in 20 years. Progovernment militias in venezuela attacked opposition lawmakers today, with sticks and metal bars. They stormed into the congress, in plain sight of security forces. Four lawmakers were injured, and at least one had to be taken to a hospital. It was the latest incident in venezuelas growing political violence. The killing of a Police Officer in new york city drew widespread condemnation today. An exconvict who ranted about police online, ambushed Miosotis Familia at her mobile command post in the bronx last night. He was killed moments later by other officers. In a statement today, u. S. Attorney general Jeff Sessions cited a string of attacks on police in recent years. He said, these killings must stop. In economic news, the European Union and japan reached an agreement in principle on a farreaching free trade deal. Their leaders plan to endorse it at a summit tomorrow. And on wall street, the Dow Jones Industrial average lost a point to close at 21,478. The nasdaq rose 40 points, and the s p 500 added three. Still to come on the newshour could new economic sanctions stall north Koreas Nuclear program . A change of mind a new poll suggests the british now want to stay in the e. U. New hampshires governor on how the Republican Health care bill could affect the opioid epidemic. And, much more. Woodruff there are no easy answers, and few good options, when it comes to dealing with north korea. We look now at whether new economic sanctions like those being considered at the United Nations could change the trajectory of the countrys nuclear ambitions, with david cohen, who served as undersecretary for terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the Treasury Department during the obama administration. He also served as the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence agency from 2015 to 2017. And, john mearsheimer, a west point graduate and former air force officer. He writes extensively on strategic issues, and is a Political Science professor at the university of chicago. He also works with the u. S. Intelligence community. And we welcome both of you to the newshour. I want to start with you, david cohen. We heard in Nick Schifrins report, Ambassador Nikki Haley referring to countries doing business with north korea in violation of u. N. Sanctions. What is the picture . Give us a picture of the financial and business dealings other countries do right now with the north. Well, most of it is illicit, with the exception with the trade with china, and that tends to be in coal, in minerals and very few other items. There are other countries around the world, in africa, in particular, in the gulf where you have north korean laborers work and you have north korea selling weapons to these countries. That is in violation of u. N. Security Council Resolutions and in violations of the sanctions, and those transactions tend to flow through Financial Institutions in china in a way that is intended to be disguised from the International Community because they are illicit transactions. Woodruff youve written new sanctions could be enacted that would put real pressure on the north. What would they look like . Theyd look like sanctions primarily focused on chinese Front Companies and chinese institutions that are facilitating this illicit trade. If you look at the way north korea engages with the world today, there are a few nodes 20, 40, 100 nodes but its a limited sets of these companies and Financial Institutions in china where the bulk of the financial activity occurs. We could focus on those nodes, squeeze those nodes and, as a result of that, squeeze north korea. Woodruff and john mearsheimer, youve taken a look at this. Do you think that could work . No, i dont think sanctions will work, judy, and i think there are two reasons for that. One is that north korea is not going to give up its Nuclear Weapons. Indeed, it would be crazy to give up its Nuclear Weapons. The United States is interested in regime change, and Nuclear Weapons are the ultimate deterrent. So you would have to inflict enormous pain on north korea to get to give up those Nuclear Weapons. I mean, you would really have to put tremendous economic pressure on them, and you cannot do that, in large part because the chinese will not allow you to do it. For china, north korea is a vital strategic asset. For china, its imperative that the north korean regime remain in place and that the regime not be toppled. Therefore, if we try to put really significant pressure economic pressure on pyongyang, the chinese will move in and make sure the north korean regime survives and north korea is going to keep its Nuclear Weapons. Woodruff what do you think . Johns right, north korea looks at its Nuclear Weapons tas guarantor of survival, but there is a possibility that a wedge scb given between the Nuclear Weapons program and kim jong uns desire to stay in power, and the way to drive that wedge is by putting coercive, diplomatic and economic pressure on the regime in north korea. We will need china to make this effective. We cannot do it over chinas objections. Woodruff but his point is china wont do it. Well, i think we have not fully tested that proposition, and one of the purposes served by the sanctions done last week and the sanctions we can do is to encourage china to take this more seriously and to work with us. Woodruff john mearsheimer, why cant that be . Why cant that happen . Well, let me respond to davids point. Woodruff sure. Hat President Trump wanted to do was he wanted to get the chinese to put significant pressure on north korea to stop these Nuclear Tests and to reach some sort of agreement with the United States. But the chinese could not do that, and the reason the chinese could not do that and the reason they wont be able to implement davids suggested policy is because the chinese have remarkably little leverage over north korea, and the North Koreans fully understand that, and the North Koreans dont play along with the chinese when they put pressure on them because the North Koreans fully understand that the chinese need north korea to survive, and once the North Koreans understand that, it gives them significant room to basically poke the chinese in the eye. Woodruff and david cohen, what about his point that china really does have limited leverage, not as much as as some people have been thinking . They actually have quite a lot of leverage in both the elicit and illicit financial activity that goes in north korea. They can squeeze north korea on the coal sales, they can squeeze north korea on their illicit financial activity. They will do it to an extent that doesnt cause a destabilizing situation in north korea, but they can do it in a way that can make north korea more interested in a potential negotiation. Woodruff so youre talking about thread ago needle, john mearsheimer. Sounds like were talking about something in between doing nothing and doing a lot more. Well, you can do a little bit more, but the point is to make the North Koreans give up their Nuclear Weapons. You have to put a great deal of pain, a great deal of punishment on them, and the chinese are not going to play that game because the chinese are heavily dependent on maintaining a sovereign north korea. And the last thing they want to do is see the west bring north korea to its knees and then see north korea crumble and run the risk of south korea incorporating north korea into a greater korea. This would be a strategic disaster for the chinese, and this is why we have so little leverage over north korea when we try to go through the chinese. Woodruff what about that . Ell, i think that john and i agree it would require an extraordinary amount of pressure to bring the North Koreans to the table. My point is that we ought to try. The alternative is to sort of accept a north korea with a Nuclear Weapon with an icbm. There is the potential we can use pressure working with the chinese to thread that needle, to bring the North Koreans to the table and to find a way to denuclearize the korean peninsula, which the chinese have been very clear about for many years is also their policy preference as a denuclearized peninsula. And perhaps this would bring them to the table to talk. All right. I think what we agree john mearsheimer, quick comment . Yeah, just very quickly. Lets assume that davids right and we can put tremendous pressure on the North Koreans, do we really want to do that . Do we want to back a Nuclear Armed state run by kim jong un into a corner . Isnt that the most likely scenario where they might use Nuclear Weapons, when theyre desperate . I think the most likely scenario is if we threaten them militarily. I think its very important we exercise restraint militarily in the short term. I think this is a longterm plan that needs to be implemented smartly but can be accomplished. Woodruff i think everybody dpreez there is a lot at stake here. David cohen, j

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