Joe Biden: “I note at the outset that I, for one--and I think my view is shared by many--think Secretary Powell made a compelling…”

“I note at the outset that I, for one--and I think my view is shared by many--think Secretary Powell made a compelling and irrefutable case yesterday about Saddam Hussein's possession of and continued effort to hide his weapons of mass destruction and his desire to gain more. But I am concerned that our understandable focus on Iraq at this moment is taking focus off of what I believe to be an equal, if not more immediate, threat to U.S. interests and those of our allies. I speak of Korea. Last week we learned that North Korea has moved plutonium fuel rods out of storage and possibly towards a production--for everybody listening, this is complicated stuff and I will explain what I mean. They announced today they are beginning their 5 megawatt nuclear powerplant. What happens with that type of nuclear powerplant--which we, until now, had them shut down with the IAEA, when there were cameras and inspectors making sure it was shut down.”