>> Melissa: THANK YOU.
FOR MORE ON ALL OF THIS, LET'S
BRING IN RETIRED ARMY COLONEL,
ALSO COUNTERTERRORISM FOR
VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE LITTLE
SIGNALS THAT HAVE GONE BACK AND
FORTH SO FAR?
>> I'M GLAD WE ARE MOVING
FORWARD WITH THESE EXERCISES.
THESE ARE ANNUAL EXERCISES, THEY
ARE QUITE LARGE, ABOUT 10,000
U.S. TROOPS AND IF YOU REMEMBER
LAST YEAR WHEN THESE EXERCISES
WENT ON, THE NORTH KOREANS
LAUNCHED FOUR MEDIUM-RANGE
BALLISTIC MISSILES INCLUDING ONE
OVER JAPAN.
IT'S GOOD THESE ARE MOVING
FORWARD, I'M ALSO ENCOURAGED BY
THE FACT THAT THE U.N. YESTERDAY
PASSED ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS,
EVADING PREVIOUS SANCTIONS, FOUR
OF THOSE COMPANIES WERE IN THE
CHINESE MAINLAND.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE HAVE TO
SUSTAIN THIS MAXIMUM PRESSURE,
KEEP THE FOOT ON THE
NORTH KOREAN ECONOMY.
THAT IS HOW YOU GET MEANINGFUL
RESULTS OF THE DIPLOMATIC TABLE.
>> Melissa: A LOT OF PEOPLE
SAY THE SAME THING, THAT WE HAVE
TO KEEP UP THIS MAXIMUM
PRESSURE.
IF WE DON'T DEPLOY IT MAXIMUM
EFFORT, IF WE DON'T DEPLOY A
U.S. OFFSET TO THE AREA, DOES IT
TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF?
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT IT
NECESSARILY TAKES THE PRESSURE
OFF.
ONE OF THE PRECONDITIONS FROM
THE NORTH KOREANS IS THAT WE
STOP ALL EXERCISES.
I'M ENCOURAGED BY THE FACT THAT
WE ARE MOVING FORWARD AND YET HE
IS STILL COMING TO THE TABLE.
THE ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON BOTH
CHINA AND NORTH KOREA TAKES A
LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
I HAVE A HEALTHY SKEPTICISM THAT
THE NORTH KOREANS AREN'T USING
ANOTHER PAGE OUT OF THEIR
PLAYBOOK TO BUY MORE TIME HERE.
JOHN BOLTON I THINK SHARES THAT
SKEPTICISM, WE KNOW HE DOES.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE
ALL KEEP IN MIND THAT
NORTH KOREAN MISSILE AND IN
YEARS, THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM IS
MOVING FORWARD.
THEY ARE BUSY LITTLE BEES
GETTING THAT ICBM FULLY
OPERATIONAL WHILE ALL OF THIS IS
TAKING PLACE.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.
>> Melissa: ONE OF THE MAJOR
CRITICISMS WE HEARD OF THE
PRESIDENT IN ADVANCE TO THIS
MEETING, PEOPLE SAYING HE'S NOT
GOING TO PREPARE, THAT HE'S
GOING TO WALK IN AND HE COULD
END UP GETTING REALLY HOODWINKED
BECAUSE HE WOULDN'T PUT IN THE
TIME.
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THAT?
ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT HE DOES
NOW HAVE AMBASSADOR BOLTON AT
HIS SIDE, SOMEONE WHO IS VERY
SHARP, VERY PREPARED AND VERY
STRONG.
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT HAS ONE
OF THE BEST NATIONAL SECURITY
RONALD REAGAN.
PREVIOUSLY H.R. McMASTER WHO
HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK TO
PREPARE FOR THIS.
WE NEED TO GET UNNAMED
AMBASSADOR ON THE
STATE DEPARTMENT SIDE, WE NEED
TO GET THE REST OF THE
STATE DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF
POLITICAL APPOINTEES MOVED
THROUGH THE SENATE AND FULFILLED
BUT I THINK HE WILL BE FULLY
PREPARED.
THIS PRESIDENT IS ENGAGING IN A
VERY HIGH LEVEL ACROSS A NUMBER
OF STATES, WHETHER IT'S PUTIN,
KIM JONG UN, WE'VE SEEN ALL OF
HIS TRIPS.
AND I THINK WE ARE QUITE
SUCCESSFUL.
>> Melissa: WHAT YOU THINK HE
HAS TO RETURN WITH FROM THE
SITDOWN MEETING IN ORDER FOR YOU
TO FEEL LIKE IT WAS A VICTORY?
>> HE HAS TO COME BACK WITH A
FIRM COMMITMENT TO
DENUCLEARIZATION, PERIOD.
KIM JONG UN CAN STAY IN POWER
BUT HE HAS TO DENUCLEARIZE.
HE HAS TO UNDERSTAND STRAIGHT
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S MOUTH, IF
YOU ACHIEVE THIS CAPABILITY IT
WILL MEAN YOUR DISTRACTION.
BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS ON
THE BACK END, THE DEVIL IS IN
THE DETAILS AND NORTH KOREA CAN
BUY A LOT OF TIME.
WHEN INSPECTORS CAN GO IN, WHAT
KIND OF NOTIFICATION, WHAT SITES
THEY CAN EXPECT AND THOSE
NEGOTIATIONS CAN DRAG ON FOR
MONTHS WHILE THEY ARE COMPLETING
THEIR MISSILE PROGRAM AND THAT'S
WHY GETTING SOME OF THE KEY
DIPLOMATS IN PLACE WHO KNOW HOW