*EPF106 08/26/2002
Excerpt: White House Says N. Korea Sanctions Merited, U.S. Willing to Talk
(Comments follow announcement of U.S. sanctions for sale of missile technology to Yemen) (670)

U.S. sanctions against North Korea for selling missile technology to Yemen were merited, but the United States remains willing to talk with North Korea "any time, any place," despite the "profound differences" between the two countries, said White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer August 23.

Fleischer's comments to reporters followed a State Department announcement earlier the same day that a North Korean entity had engaged in missile technology proliferation activities that require the imposition of U.S. sanctions.

Following are excerpts from the Fleischer briefing transcript, containing those portions dealing with North Korea and Yemen:

(begin excerpt)

Office of the Press Secretary
(Dana Point, California)
August 23, 2002

PRESS GAGGLE WITH ARI FLEISCHER AND KARL ROVE

Aboard Air Force One En Route Stockton, California

.... Q: Your administration today announced that it was imposing sanctions on North Korea for sale of SCUD missile technology to Yemen. Does that in any way impact plans or hopes of having talks, renewing talks with North Korea?

MR. FLEISCHER: This is a legal matter that is a pro forma requirement under the law for the State Department, and the State Department will enforce the law. This is a determination made by Secretary Powell in accordance with the law.

Q: Are there plans on -- do you still plan on --

MR. FLEISCHER: The position of the United States continues to be we will talk with North Korea any time, any place, but the action was taken because it was merited....

MR. FLEISCHER: No. The North Korea sanctions, again, that was a legal matter that's triggered by actions and a State Department review.

Q: He said something, we'll need to keep Yemen strongly behind us, which just seemed a weird, out-of-place reference. Do you know what he --

MR. FLEISCHER: He's previously talked about Yemen and part of the second phase of the war on terrorism is not to allow al Qaeda to regroup, to bunch up anywhere around the world. And particularly outside of Sana, which is the capital of Yemen, you get some very remote regions, where it is a concern. And the government of Yemen has been making constructive steps toward working with the United states.

Q: Why does this decision, why does this sale not concern you and why do you still intend on having talks any time, anyplace? If you think that this sale would confirm your worst fears about North Korea, why would you push ahead with talks?

MR. FLEISCHER: Because the United states has a variety of things to talk to North Korea about, and that includes stopping their proliferation, which clearly they engage in; calling on them to withdraw their massive amounts of conventional weaponry from the border regions; as well as human rights issues, which are vital. North Korea starves its own people. It's one of the worst violators of human rights on Earth. And we have sharp differences with North Korea, profound differences with North Korea. But we are, as we've said previously, willing to talk to North Korea and we call on North Korea to create an atmosphere in which those talks could be constructive and fruitful.

(end excerpt)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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