McCain: N. Korea ‘One of the Most Serious International Crises, National Security Crises We Face’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:

DICKERSON: "We're back with the chairman of the Senate armed service committee senator John McCain. Welcome. Your reaction to secretary of state, U.S. Wants to sit down at the table with North Korea."
McCAIN: "Well, you know, this is one of the longest standing crises that we have faced three previous administrations tried to make deals with North Korea in order to stop the steady progress they have been making towards the acquisition of nuclear power -- excuse me, nuclear weapons and means to deliver them. And I'm all for us going back to the table. But I'm not sure that we aren't facing a serious situation here of two options, one nuclear armed North Korea or with -- so we would prevent them from the further acquisition. So, it seems China is very important and yet we can't revisit that same old scenario we had before. We're going to have to do number of things including incredible emphasis on missile defense, South Korea and our own missile defense system since there is the scenario, you never know exactly where it is they can strike the United States of America and Alaska, that is both of those are unacceptable options. So, I think missile defense, I think influence China to -- which China has never done, this is probably one of the most serious international crises, national security crises we face."
DICKERSON: "Give me your assessment of the administration, Secretary Tillerson suggested today all this is backed up by a swift military capability, everybody talked how tough those options are. But give me your sense of how soon that capability could be put into operation. Other analysts have said take a long time for the U.S. To actually move militarily, what's your sense of the timeline?
McCAIN: "I think it's difficult but I think we are making sure that we have the capability as far as militarily and South Korea but also the emphasis now has to be on missile defense to a large degree. I have great confidence in our capability to develop counter missile capability. We don't have that right now. When some analysts are saying that they have already capability to hit the united States of America."