congressional reporters. tonight it is speaker nancy pelosi. on wednesday we will look at house minority leader kevin mccarthy's congressional career. up with ay we wrap look at senate minority leader charles schumer. watch this week beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> mrs. daryl kimball of the arms control association. he serves as the executive director. what is the most important thing for the united states to consider in this upcoming summit with north korea? mr. kimball: the window for the diplomatic breakthrough is not going to last forever. this is the second summit at state -- head of state level. there has been an easing of tensions since the 2018 singapore summit but there has not been progress on the plan for denuclearization and for easing tensions and move towards a piece regime.

-- peace regime. after singapore with each side demanding more than the other was willing to give in, which is the usual with diplomatic negotiations, the two sides finally on track, there have been working level meetings with new senior advisor on the north korea issue, steve beegan. they are on track to reach an agreement on a framework for an action to action plan that freezes the north korean nuclear and missile program, there has been a mitchell and desk missile and nuclear predestined -- they continue to produce nuclear bomb making material and increase their nuclear abilities. they are not going to give up their abilities for nothing. to make sureants

there is movement towards the endingof an annuity -- -- moving towards what the north calls a piece regime. we could see an initial deal that involves shutting down north korea's major nuclear complex where they produce plutonium. it could go beyond that. the united states would like to see inspectors go into make sure things have been shut down. the north is looking for something in return, maybe a three-way declaration on the end of the war, a political declaration involving the u.s. or south -- our south korean allies and the north. maybe easing of sanctions in return for whenever north korea falls through. -- follows through. host: are those reasonable steps for the united states? mr. kimball: those would be important steps on the road to denuclearization. north korea has a substantial arsenal. they have 10-20 nuclear bombs. they

have material for another 30 to they have got dozens of nuclear 60. facilities. denuclearization even if the two sides agree to a plan and are working hard together is going to be a years long process. we have to look at this as an action for action process. each side builds confidence they are going to follow through, build confidence in one another and we can get along the road as fast as possible. that is the goal. the summit is trump's last best opportunity to make progress. host: questions about the summit you can ask our guests. 202-748-8001, for republicans. 202-748-8000, for democrats. independents (202) 748-8002. korea offers these things how does the oversight look, how do we know they will do what they say they will do? mr. kimball: we do not have to trust the north koreans to do what they are going to do. we need to have inspectors on the

ground at sites where they say they are going to dismantle facilities. when we get to this point, when we are talking about dismantling nuclear bombs we need to have u.s. and north korean specialists working together to ensure the disassembly is happening as prescribed. we will be able to see much of this on the ground. we will need to see much of this with u.s. inspectors, perhaps international atomic energy agency inspectors. from a treaty organization that verifies the absence of nuclear testing. some of it can be done through remote u.s. monitoring and intelligence agencies. it is going to be a complex, years long process. what is tough is this is an apples to oranges kind of exchange. the north koreans want the united states to take demonstrable steps to ease tension, things like a piece declaration --

peace declaration. like removing u.s. strategic assets, b-1 bombers that fly from guam. they don't want that because they think that is a sign of a decapitation strike. they need to have those demonstrable steps. host: let's hear from president trump last friday speaking from the rose garden regarding the summit and the topic of north korea. trump: i think we have the same good luck we had in the first summit. so much was done. no more rockets or missiles. no more testing of nuclear. the remains of our great heroes from the korean war, we got back are hostages. going to be very much equally as successful. i am in no rush, we just don't want testing. the sanctions remain.

china has been helping us and russia has been helping us. korea, we have been working very closely with south korea, with japan. china, russia, on the border. have really been at least partially living up to what they are supposed to be doing and that's ok. he says a lot has been done since the first meeting, would you agree with that? >> tensions have been eased. u.s. scaled-back military exercises over the summer. there has not been progress on denuclearization. u.s. intelligence leaders were just in congress testifying on global threats. they reported and i would agree that north korea continues to take actions contrary to the goal of denuclearization. they produce plutonium and highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons and

they are proving their missile capabilities even if they are not doing what tests. the president says he is not in a rush, but we need to move into the summit with urgency because this window of opportunity is not going to last. we have a supportive south korean president moon jae-in who has this effortyst for with north korea. we have a president who is willing to take the risk of meeting with the leader of north korea. north korea's leadership wants to meet with the united states and negotiate. this may not last forever. president trump needs to seize the opportunity. this summit is a critical opportunity but one meeting is not going to solve all of this. they need to come out with concrete steps, a roadmap. they need to have working level

discussions to negotiate the nitty-gritty details. if they are going to freeze and reverse their nuclear programs and how the u.s. will ensure north korea that its future is not going to be compromised as it begins to disarm. (202) 748-8000. our first call comes from --host: our first call comes from michigan, this is tyrone. caller: i would like to ask this gentleman -- you stated what the united states wants and president trump wants from north korea. do you know what the north koreans really wants out of the negotiation with us? also, based upon history and what happened in iraq as well as libya when those leaders gave up their weapons and they ended up out of power and got killed. what are we going to do as far as the leaders of north korea if we do come up with an agreement ?as the latest of north korea if

-- if we do come up with an agreement? guest: that is a good question, no side is going to get everything they want without giving something in return. the north koreans have made it clear through public statements, -- they areents looking for some initial steps that include a political declaration on the end of the war. the north considers this important. it would show the united states does not have hostile intent. that we do not intend to seek regime change. officials including special representative from north korea stephen beacon has said that but they want a formal political declaration signed by the president. another thing they are interested in is sanctions relief the international sanctions regime is having an effect on north korea. not to the extent that we would has notbecause it

slowed its nuclear weapons and missile programs but it is having a serious effect on north itsa's ability to build up extremely weak and poor economy. they want to see sanctions relief that could begin with opening the door to humanitarian relief, medicines, limited economic cooperation between north and south korea on one specific project. is thing the north interested in is making sure the u.s. military presence is not one that poses a threat of attack at any time. north korea possibility to thwart an american surprise attack is low. they are worried the united states could position strategic assets in the region based in japan and guam. they want to see the united states agreed to withdraw those assets and not involve them in military exercises.

those are some of the initial steps the north wants. ultimately they are driving at a new relationship and opening to the world on in formal peace treaty with the united states and other parties to the original korean conflict in the 1950's. host: this is richard in massachusetts. what --i was wondering what do we want from the north koreans. and president trump just seems to be happy kim likes him but not have any policy. i was wondering, let's get policy. mr. kimball: president trump has expressed satisfaction with his beautiful relationship with kim jong-un. that is hyperbole. they have met. the personal relationship is important but what we need is tangible

outcomes. what the united states is looking for is what we have been looking for for years, which is to eliminate its nuclear weapons program and ballistic missiles that can deliver nuclear weapons against our allies, even as far as the united states. in 2017, the north koreans conducted a successful ballistic missile -- intercontinental ballistic missile tests that showed that they have the capability to deliver a few nuclear warheads to the american homeland. what we are looking for is an -- a phased approach to complete denuclearization, ending the production of nuclear bombs. accounting for and eliminating the nuclear bomb that north korea has assembled and the nuclear materials they have in their country, we are not going to have 100% assurance we have gotten all of it but we can be

highly certain we have the bulk of the nuclear weapons material under control. the other thing we are looking for is the dismantling of industrial facilities and in the long run we are going to have to find a way to redirect the expertise of the north korean engineers and scientists who have been involved in this program since -- so they do not take their skills and sell them to third countries. that is a long and detailed list of things we are looking for. have with this negotiation is the united states and north korea don't have an agreed a of what denuclearization means. we think about it as disarming north korea. the north koreans think of it as making sure there is no nuclear

threat to north korea and that they don't have nuclear weapons. they are interested in making sure the united states is not preparing or does not have strike assets, whether nuclear or nonnuclear that could hit north korea. >> -- they are going to know it when they see it. they will have to work through it at these negotiations move on. have seen tests of various missiles out of north korea. do we currently have the capability something reaching the united states? that has been a matter of considerable debate. independent experts that we work with we believe north koreans have ballistic missiles. 15 or 14 specifically that can reach targets in the u.s.. how accurate they are is not

clear. how reliable -- this is the device that delivers the nuclear bomb to the target. they have a missile that can deliver a payload the size of a nuclear bomb across the pacific ocean to the u.s.. they probably only have no more than a dozen of these types of missiles. they are probably manufacturing more of them. this is one of the reasons why we can't just wait around and become trouble they are not flight testing them. we have to make sure they are not producing more or improving the capabilities as time goes on. >> how is the u.s. prepared to meet that threat should it happen? ofthe u.s. has spent tens billions of dollars on ballistic missile defenses going back to the 1970's. we have a limited capability to from a fewe target

ballistic missiles coming from north korea. there are about four dozen ballistic missile interceptors .he united states has if north korea launched 10 ballistic missiles towards the u.s. headed towards the idle or honolulu or los angeles our ballistic missile system with relied upon to hit half of those. the problem is that in order for north korea to pose a threat to the u.s. they don't have to have all their missiles hit. this is one of the reasons why we have to avoid at all costs a war with north korea. the nature, geography, the forces wind up, this would become a war that becomes nuclear very quickly. not only would that mean that american cities are potentially at risk if north korea can get those missiles off the ground. even more importantly the tens

of millions and hundreds of millions of south koreans and the americans and south korea are at risk in a conflict that would be between two countries that are lined up across the dmz with an enormous conventional and also nuclear firepower. this is daryl kimball of the arms control association with us. their website is armscontrol.org. this is tony, texas, independent line. caller: i do not know how to say this with more heart but, i am an american and i am tired of killing everybody in the world. our government has made our quality of life -- for the last -- fall -- our quality of life fall for the last 20 something years you all have ruined it. y'all made us hated everywhere. we don't trust our government.

we don't trust not one of you. you are all a bunch of murderers. we will go to jason in california, republican line. to bring upnted that i feel and i'm pretty sure most of america feels that donald trump has done more in his first term as president towards north korea been every -- then every single president combined. there is a reason why north korea does not launch nuclear missiles or test nuclear missiles. it is simple. ony have a 90% failure rate shooting off ibm's. for them to shoot these nuclear missiles towards america it would almost be like committing suicide. for the last seven years every single president has passed on north korea to say they would do

something about it. all this stuff about having all these rules and trump has to do this and do that. he has only been meeting with chairman kim for the last year. give donald trump some credit. host: we will let our guest respond. guest: i think donald trump does deserve credit for taking the bold step of agreeing to meet with kim jong-un. it was moon jae-in who brokered an opening with the north koreans following the pyeongchang olympics which were held in south korea. many observers from the outside said donald trump should not accept this offer from kim jong-un to meet in person. you can find the rest of this washington journal segment online at c-span.org. we take you live to the center for the national interest for a discussion on u.s. lands to withdraw from afghanistan. withdrawal pains. focusing