General Wesley Clark on Fox News Live
July 5, 2006
transcript by Reg NYC

Bob Sellers: NATO calls for an international response to the North Korea missile test. Dozens of countries weighing in on what has quickly become a global crisis. For more on what the tests mean to our security, we're talking to the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO forces in Europe, Fox News contributor, General Wesley Clark. General, could you explain what the purpose is of North Korea going ahead with these tests?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: North Korea wants diplomatic recognition and acceptance in the world, and the only way they believe that they can get this is by pressuring. And they're very tough negotiators. They've been very rational in their approach, and they haven't received a package of incentives that they'll sign onto yet. So, this is their way of turning up the heat. They're saying, 'Look at us. Come and treat us seriously. We're a real nation. Come and deal with us. Give us something.' That's what they want.

Bob Sellers: And, as we look at a picture of a medium-range missile, of course the long-range are what are considered the biggest threats, but what do you think the biggest threat is from these tests?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I think the biggest threat is the escalation of tensions, which could lead to miscalculations, which could lead to conflict. What we need to be doing is, while the international community is condemning North Korea, there also needs to be a renewed effort to put together a package of incentives, both negative incentives and positive incentives to go back to the North Koreans. You know, this is a crisis that's been slow motion. Six years ago, there was a possibility of negotiations and real dialog with North Korea. The administration didn't want to do this. There's been a lot of posturing. I've called for direct negotiations with the North Koreans for some three and a half years. It has happened only on one or two occasions. That's what needs to be done. The United States is the most powerful nation in a very dangerous world. People are looking to us for leadership, and that leadership begins with talking.

Bob Sellers: But, but-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Not, not threatening.

Bob Sellers: Okay, so you're saying direct instead of six party talks.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: That's right.

Bob Sellers: But wouldn't you agree that if China went along with economic sanctions, this would be over?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I'm not sure that that's the case. My guess would be that the North Koreans have already, for their military purposes, stockpiled sufficient oil and, and other resources, that they could hang on for a long time. And certainly-

Bob Sellers: And food?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -increase- Yes. For the, for the key essential elements of the regime.

Bob Sellers: Mm Hm.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Now, they would put a lot of pressure on the regular population. You'd probably increase the outflow of North Koreans trying to escape into China to get food. You could provoke a regional crisis, but putting pressure effectively on this regime, I don't think China has any more influence on them than the United States does. They want to talk to the United States. The United States should talk to them. I'm sorry that they thought they could do this to us this way. They can't. The United States is not going to give away anything under pressure, but the United States, for a long time, has needed to talk directly to the North Koreans.

Bob Sellers: Do you think that this is in any way kind of a sales demo? I mean, they've sold some of their missiles to Iran, Pakistan and other countries. Do you think they were trying to show the abilities of their long-range missile, which of course did not perform very well, in an attempt to get more business?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: That could be a secondary purpose. My guess is this is aimed right at the United States. The tests (laughing) began on the Fourth of July.

Bob Sellers: Yeah.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: They're pointed at us. What they've been trying to tell us for some three and a half years is, 'Come and talk to us. We want to make a deal.' But they're not going to come with their hands open. North Korea has culturally been a very tough negotiator. They're very rational, but they're very tough-minded. So, we need to be coming back to the North Koreans with a package of incentives, positive incentives and negative incentives. We need to do it privately-

Bob Sellers: Yeah.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -out of the glare of the spotlight, one on one, and turn this crisis off.

Bob Sellers: Well, do we have any reason to believe that they would go along with any agreement that, even in six party talks, we arrived at, considering during the Clinton administration they agreed to a moratorium. They got food. They got energy, all these things they were seeking, that their belligerence was rewarded, and then they faunted their nose at those agreements.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: They will always bump up and test us. They will always seek more, and no agreement is going to take the place of continuous dialog and working against them and with them. But remember, North Korea's a problem no matter what that regime does. Got over twenty million people there. They're in conditions of abject poverty. They're not integrated into the world economic community. They're a basket case, and no country wants to see either a war or an implosion of that government. So, they're going to have to be dealt with one way or another. That's why I'm recommending that we do it with direct-

Bob Sellers: Directly.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -talks.

Bob Sellers: Gotcha. They did this on the Fourth of July, on a day that we sent seven people in a craft into space that'll hook up with the international space station tomorrow. So, their first stage blows up ends up, ends up in the Sea of Japan. There's a different technology right there. There are your systems.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: No doubt about it.

Bob Sellers: Thank you very much, General.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Thank you.