Defense Department Report
October 17, 2002

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon press briefing October 17 that he believes North Korea "has a small number of nuclear weapons."

Rumsfeld told reporters that the U.S. intelligence community has for years had an unclassified assessment that North Korea may possess one or two nuclear weapons. He noted that North Korean officials had told U.S. officials recently that they have for years had a program to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels.

Asked by a reporter whether he thought weapons inspectors should investigate the North Korean claim, Rumsfeld replied, "They just said they're violating" the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the International Atomic Energy Agency Safeguards agreement, the North-South [Korean] de-nuclearization agreement, and the Agreed Framework. "They've admitted that they're violating all four of those agreements. What does one inspect when they are already stating for the world that that's their position?"

Asked whether North Koreas admission was a "good sign" that they were "coming clean," Rumsfeld said, "I don't think there's any way in the world anyone could say it's good sign that when they were called and confronted and told that we have evidence that they are violating all four of these agreements by engaging in a highly enriched uranium route development program for additional nuclear weapons -- I don't see how anyone could say that's a good sign."

Questioned later in the briefing about his reference to additional nuclear weapons, Rumsfeld answered, "You have a sharp ear. I did say additional nuclear weapons." He then noted that the unclassified assessment of the Central Intelligence Agency is that the United States "has assessed, since the early 1990s, that the North may have one or two weapons."

"I believe they have a small number of nuclear weapons," Rumsfeld concluded.

Rumsfeld also was asked whether North Korea, like Iraq, should be considered a case for pre-emptive military action.

"Those are questions not for me, but for the president and the Congress and the country. And the United States government ... is in the process of talking to our friends and allies in Japan and South Korea. And I believe there ... either have been or will also be discussions of that subject with the People's Republic of China, with Russia, and possibly with the European Union members."

Iraq remains a special case

-- The proposed action must be truly necessary.
-- The task must be achievable at an acceptable risk.
-- If necessary and achievable, the task must be worth doing.
-- Consider the implications of action or inaction in other parts of the world.
-- Decide when diplomacy has failed and "act forcefully during the pre-crisis period to try to alter behavior and prevent a conflict; if that fails ... be prepared to use whatever force is necessary to prevail."

Asked whether Iraq was more dangerous than North Korea, Rumsfeld said, "I agree with the president's speech to the United Nations and to the American people that Iraq has unique characteristics that distinguish it and that suggest that it has nominated itself ... for special attention because of the threat of what theyre doing."