State Department Daily Press Briefing
Deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid briefs reporters March 13
U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing Index
Friday, March 13, 2009
11:52 p.m. EST
Briefer: Gordon Duguid, Acting Deputy Spokesman
NORTH KOREA
-- Belligerent Statements, Actions Not Helpful to Six-Party Process
-- North Korea Should Come Back to the Table
-- Proposition of a Missile Launch is a Bad Idea/Violation of UNSCR 1718
EXCERPT
QUESTION: On North Korea, other news reports that North Korea’s begun cancelling visas for American groups who have already received permission to travel to the country, to enter the country, can you comment on this?
And then to follow up, how do you view this measure, in light of some of the more recent, provocative language from the North about potential missile launches?
MR. DUGUID: I have not had any information or seen any reports that they are cancelling visas, so I’m not prepared, really, to make any comment on that.
We’ve said several times this week, we’ve said several times over the past month that North Korean belligerent statements and actions are not helpful to the Six-Party process. They are not part of what North Korea has committed to do under the Six-Party Talks, and that in the interest of moving forward to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, North Korea should live up to its agreements and come back to the table and start discussing where we go after that to make progress.
QUESTION: Can you – Gordon, could you take that question about whether North Korea has begun cancelling visas it had already issued? That would be interesting if it were the case.
MR. DUGUID: We will take it. I am not certain how we would confirm that, since they’re North Korean visas issued to individuals. We would have to refer you to individuals. They do not necessarily report the cancellation of their visas to us.
QUESTION: Okay.
MR. DUGUID: But we will look and see what we can get for you, if we have had complaints through various channels.
Yes, please.
[...]
Yes, Jill.
QUESTION: Can I just ask a little clarification on North Korea and the missile? It seems, at least in my mind, it’s unclear what the United States would do if they launched this. Is there a threat that the United States would actually shoot it down? Will the U.S. be monitoring it? If it’s – if they think it’s a satellite going into space, what would they do? In other words, is there a clear position what the United States would do if that missile is fired, as we expect, in April?
MR. DUGUID: Well, you’re asking me to do two things, both of which I can’t do. One is to speculate, and one is to get into intelligence matters.
The UN, all other five parties in the Six-Party Talks, a number of nations around the world have come out and said that the proposition of a missile launch, whatever is on top of it, by the North Koreans is a bad idea. Most interpret a launch, as well, as being a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1718. I think the isolation that North Korea feels on this issue is something that should be noted by us, if it’s not being taken to heart there.
But as to what will happen and when things happen, I’ll have to leave that for a future discussion.
QUESTION: Gordon, I don’t think it’s intelligence or speculation anymore. They have said that they’re going to do it. They’ve announced it and informed international bodies to which they’re a party.
MR. DUGUID: The question was what will we do in response.
QUESTION: Right, so what will you do in response to something they’ve said --
MR. DUGUID: And I will leave that for a future briefing.
QUESTION: Can I just follow up on that?
MR. DUGUID: Yes, please.
QUESTION: Japan has said that they could shoot down the missile, if it was fired over Japan. Does the U.S. have any comment on that?
MR. DUGUID: I will leave Japan’s statement for the Japanese to further discuss.
QUESTION: Do you think it’s helpful --
MR. DUGUID: Yes, please. In the back.
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