General Wesley Clark on Fox News

July 4, 2006
Transcript by Reg NYC

Gregg Jarrett: Tough talk out of North Korea yesterday. The North Koreans warning us to expect, what to expect if we try to take out one of their long-range missiles that they plan to test fire. Here's what they said.

Here's a quote: "The Army and the people of (North Korea) are now in full preparedness to answer a preemptive attack with a relentless annihilating strike and a nuclear war with a mighty nuclear deterrent." What does that mean? General Wesley Clark is Fox News analyst, also the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. Happy Fourth, General. Good to see you.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: (in progress) Same to you, Gregg. I'm sorry it has to start with a quote like that.

Gregg Jarrett: Yeah. I mean, that is a very frightening quote. So, I mean, what does it really mean or is that, is that the usual sort of buster and bravado and rhetoric from North Korea?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, it's both. I mean, it is bluster and bravado and rhetoric. They are ratcheting up the rhetoric, but they also do have a strong military. They could strike Seoul. They could cause havoc on the Korean Peninsula. They don't want a war. What they want is, they want recognition, international recognition and international acceptance for their regime.

Gregg Jarrett: Mm hm.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: They want to break away from some of the dominance that China has over their regime. They want a peace treaty with the United States.

Gregg Jarrett: Well, here's our response from the State Department. In fact, they responded very quickly. I'll quote it, "Should North Korea take the provocative action of launching a missile, the US would respond appropriately, including by taking the necessary measures to protect ourselves." What do you think that means, General?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I think it means we've got several different means of going after the missile. There was already a kind of, in my view, a premature announcement that we would try to shoot down the missile with our anti-ballistic missile system. There are other means of going after the missile. We've got several of those means. We've put other measures, are ready to put other measures in place in Japan if they were to go ahead.

Gregg Jarrett: Right.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: So, this is part of the diplomacy that surrounds this, but what's important, Gregg, is that the United States is the leader in the world.

Gregg Jarrett: Right.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: The world is a dangerous place, and if we will talk to people, we can reduce the angry rhetoric.

Gregg Jarrett: Yeah.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: We need to be talking directly yo North Korea.

Gregg Jarrett: Well, you mentioned Japan and, and what we have been working on with them. I, I presume you mean the joint missile shield defense system. Is that operational? Could we shoot it down in the air?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, we can bring, around Japan, Navy vessels that have capabilities to go after missiles early in the launch phase. We can also put other air defense missiles into Japan-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -with the advanced warheads that, should the missile be aimed at Japan-

Gregg Jarrett: Yeah.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -or be low enough, they could take it out.

Gregg Jarrett: Unlike Iran, North Korea already, General, has nuclear weapons. Conservative estimate puts it at about ten nuclear bombs, and now obviously they have devised this delivery system that arguably can reach the United States. It's a three-stage rocket. Does North Korea, therefore, pose a more imminent and dangerous threat than Iran?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, it's a different type of a threat. In the case of Iran, we're trying head off their movement to nuclear weapons. North Korea wants recognition. North Korea doesn't have oil to sell. North Korea wants to survive. Iran has oil. Iran wants regional dominance. So, you have to deal differently with these two countries, but in both cases our military plays an important component of the diplomatic effort.

Gregg Jarrett: General Wesley Clark, as always, thank you so much and Happy Fourth again.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Thank you, Gregg. Same to you.