17/04/2017 100 Days

First Syria, then Afghanistan - could North Korea be

The US Vice President issues a veiled warning to Pyongyang.

And tells the BBC it will be testing Misal missiles on a weekly basis and

all-out war will result if America takes action.

After a visit to Koreas' demilitarised zone, Mike Pence says

the era of strategic patience is over.

North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength

of the United States in this region.

Turkey looks less democratic and more authoritarian after voters

He rejects the findings of international monitors.

Also, one House race in Georgia is gaining national attention.

With 18 candidates the field is wide open.

Democrats are pouring in the resources while Donald Trump

The Democrats have cast it as a referendum on President Trump's 100

days. And, it wouldn't be Easter

without the White House Egg Roll. The tradition lives on under

a new administration. Welcome to the programme -

I'm Katty Kay in Washington, Donald Trump says North

Korea has to behave. Speaking in the rather incongruous

setting of the White House easter egg roll, the President added only

that "you'll see" how the US decides to respond to North Korea's

latest provocation. His Vice President, Mike Pence,

was firmer, suggesting America's Two days after a failed missile

launch Mr Pence stood at the edge of the most heavily militarized

border on the planet - and stared across at the communist

North Korean soldiers. And they stared back,

taking pictures of the White House delegation that was barely 30 metres

away. For Mike Pence this

was an emotional trip. His father Edward fought

in the Korean War and was awarded Today almost 64 years on,

the two countries are still The White House says it is looking

at all options short of military action to resolve the stand-off. But

the vice president warned them the strategic patience is over.

Since 1992, the United States and our allies

have stood together for a denuclearised Korean peninsula.

We hope to achieve this objective through peaceful means, but all

Just in the past two weeks the world witnessed the strength and resolve

of our new president, in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan.

North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength

Armed Forces of the United States in this region.

We will defeat any attack and we will meet any use of conventional or

nuclear weapons with an overwhelming response.

It would seem the warnings from Washington are not yet

Our correspondent John Sudworth who is in Pyongyang has been

speaking to the Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol

who says despite the threats the missile tests will go on.

If the US is reckless enough to use military means it would mean from

that very day and all-out war. Our nuclear weapons protect us from that

threat. We have been conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly,

yearly basis. If you could send one message to President Trump today

what would it be? TRANSLATION: I would tell him that

if the US in Croke is on our sovereignty it will provoke an

immediate tea counterreaction. If they are planning a military attack

against us we will retire with a nuclear pre-emptive strike by our

own style and methods. And we can speak now

to former US Ambassador We don't get to hear from the Vice

Foreign Minister of North Korea very often, what is your reaction to what

he said? It is an example of their customary charm. Usually this is how

they react to what they perceive as threats. You recall their statements

to reduce South Korea's capital to the sea of fire. This is along those

lines. The real question is are they going to try to test nuclear weapons

despite these warnings, Inc coming most recently from the vice

president, or will they back off a bit? The Chinese have certainly

tried to get them to back off, but we don't know. They may feel they

have to go forward and at that point it will be very interesting what the

trumpet this region does. We have had slightly mixed messages over the

weekend with the National Security adviser saying America wanted to

stop short of some kind of military action, Vice President pens sounding

tougher in Korea and this patience was wearing thin. Due to go is a

risk this ministry should be painted itself into a corner where

effectively military action is the only option achieves itself? Great

powers don't laugh. The reason is when great powers get into

confrontation they have two prevail. -- great powers don't bluff. That is

quite an undertaking if that is the direction we want to go. People need

to keep and in mind why we are there. It has to do with our allies,

the South Koreans, and we make sure that whatever we do or say or think,

that we analyse the issue, it is done with an understanding of the

South corrosion is where we are. I have no problem with the idea that

we need to ratchet up the issue. It is not going away on its own and

certainly no amount of patients will make it go away. But I think we need

to think carefully as we consider options that I think by all accounts

are not very desirable. If you are going to ratchet it up, how do you

do that? China signed off last year or two of the toughest security

council resolutions we have had, one cutting off cold to the north

Koreans which of course they desperately need. It is still not

working. First, I think there is a fundamental question of whether

sanctions even well imposed and well supervised sanctions are going to be

on a fast enough train to catch up to where the North Korean nuclear

missile programmes are. I think there is a big question of whether

these sanctions can work. That said, I would say China has not done as

much as they could. I think they are beginning to comply, they are

beginning to look at how to dying I the financial sector, but it is

important to understand China have increased their trade with North

Korea even in these last few months. And think it is important where

China is going with this. I think anyone listening to what Beijing is

saying or reading what is going on in their press, suggests a country

that is really tired of North Korea. But I think we need to understand

that China is not going to be interested in some kind of military

venture and they want to make sure everything has been done before even

thinking about such an outcome. I think the Trump administration will

continue to have its work cut out for it in terms of keeping the

Chinese on-board for more robot 's response. Good to get your response.

Thank you. It's pretty obvious now that this is the foreign policy

challenge for the White House. The fact that he sent Mike pence as is

and Miss Airey to Korea on such an important weekend speaks volumes.

And that's Mike Pens talked so tough. This is the first big

challenge for Donald Trump and he has decided to effectively jettison

his promises on trade to a key base of his supporters in order to make

our lives with the Chinese, to address the North Korean problem.

This is how critical this problem is. For the President to say I

during the campaign called China currency manipulator, I am not going

to do that any more because they are working with is North Korea. It

gives you some idea of the sense of urgency on this.

International election observers have issued a damning

conclusion on this weekend's referendum in Turkey.

They say the vote wasn't conducted on a level playing field.

They questioned the actual count, as well as the tone of the campaign.

Opposition parties, which failed to stop President Erdogan gaining

sweeping new powers for himself, may now feel emboldened

But Mr Erdogan is not backing down - his foreign ministry

says the observers' findings are "unacceptable".

He said the vote ended all debate and questioned the impartiality of

the observers. He even proposed a new referendum. None of those talks

will make it turkey's relationship the West any easier.

We will not listen to the words of George, hands or Helga. We will

listen to the words of Allah Almighty.

A short time ago I spoke to our correspondent

A pretty damning report on the vote in the campaign.

Is there any suggestion now in Turkey that that

I think it would still be a very uphill

struggle to try to overturn the results.

But the opposition will feel emboldened and I think by this

damning verdict by the Observer Mission

in trying to appeal to the

electoral court, the electoral board,

they want a rerun of the

entire referendum and a nullification of it if indeed

the results are proven to be invalidated.

It is very difficult in a country where the state machinery is

so heavily controlled by the President

and his inner circle, and

where about 80% of the media is pro-government, so they are

hammering home this message that this was a decisive victory.

So it is difficult to overturn but what

I think will happen and what I think the Observer mission's verdict will

do is to reinforce this cloud of illegitimacy over the mandate of

He doesn't want that, his supporters don't want it,

and it's a pretty difficult position for him to be in now.

What does that mean the Turkey going forwards?

It is already a divided country - presumably this does nothing to

No, it does quite the polar opposite.

And he's a man who has a kind of siege mentality sometimes of

sort of doubling down and turning in on his

inner circle and I think that

will only be accentuated, there will be a feeling

that his once extensive support network has shrunk

He does still have a lot of support, still half the

country, but they did not get a resounding victory they wanted.

And for such a monumental political change, they don't have the mandate

They have still claimed victory but while the

doubts linger over the next steps and over the weeks and months ahead

it is going to really accentuate the split

here and make the goal of

stability which Turkey yearns for even harder to achieve.

And for more on the long-term implications of this vote

we are joined from Istanbul now by Ali Agaoglu, a columnist

Good to see you. Thank you for being with us. Let me read you a quote

from President Erdogan today. He said we prevail despite the attacks

by western crusaders and their servants. He's talking about Europe.

No sign of any reconciliation yet. Actually... Thank you for asking.

But the question over there is the whole campaign is based on some

Western Crusaders or foreign powers trying to cause problems in Turkey,

but President Erdogan was trying to unify supporters under this key and

I think it will be a little bit going further because the rate 51-49

or something like that, is not a great victory for him and I think he

will consider further alternatives. But, as you said, the division

between our people will continue for a while because he needs to

consolidate his power as a president before consolidating it he's not

going to put any further straightforward policies against us

or against the European Union. The European Union accession will be on

the top subject for us. How does this change Turkey's relationship

with its Western allies? The truth is the West still needs this

critical Nato member and particularly at the moment with

Syria, terrorism and the refugees that have been coming out of that

Syria conflict. I would say that's a big question mark for us because

Syria, Robert Lee we are going to be out of table at least for this

foreseeable future, because Russia, America and the Kurdish people over

there made a kind of unity or let's see allies. Turkey is out of the

equation for the time being. But it is a member of Nato. As that we will

still be in Nato but there will be discussion within Turkey and Nato,

of course Russia probably will be the major decision-makers here next

to the US, but the question for Turkey probably we are not going to

be out of Nato but that will be a hard discussion between Turkey and

Nato because of Russia. On top, if we are not going to continue the

accession talks with the EU, there will be different questions or

different policies in Turkey considering the Nato membership plus

the EU accession. If President Erdogan decides to go the early

elections in 2018, certainly the major discussion will be about EU

membership and consolidation will be about this discussion still being a

member of Nato and still being a future member of the EU. I think we

will have early election in 2018 prior to 2019. A number of

ramifications from that referendum. Thank you for being with us. Some of

the day 's other news. Clashes have broken out

between Israeli forces and Palestinians during a rally held

in Bethlehem in support of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on hunger

strike in Israeli jails. More than 1,000

prisoners are demanding improved jail conditions,

including better medical care. Prince Harry has revealed he had

counselling after spending nearly 20 years trying to avoid thinking

about the death of his mother. The Prince was 12 when Princess

Diana died in a car crash in Paris. In an interview with

Britain's Daily Telegraph, he revealed he only sought help

after he reached breaking point. Police in the US state of Ohio

are hunting a man suspected of posting a video on Facebook

of him fatally shooting a stranger. Officers in Cleveland say

the suspect Steve Stephens claimed to have killed 12 other people,

in a later broadcast on Facebook. But the city's police chief

says they don't know But not before plenty of people have

seen it. You have to worry about our Spieth sees when somebody doesn't

just shoot somebody, they put it up on the Internet live, it's up there

for three hours, lots of people watch it. Facebook have condemned it

but they are already under pressure. Facebook live was launched just over

a year ago. It has certainly proven to be the raw and emotional form of

communication that was promised. There are all kinds of questions now

about what kind of responsibility Facebook has went something like

this happens for mop it is disturbing, to say the least. On

every level. The main candidates in the French

presidential election are holding And the latest polls show

an incredibly tight race together by the Huffington Post

and it shows the centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen

of the far right pretty Interesting to see, Katty,

that the scandal-hit Francois Fillon most definitely remains in the race

according to this poll, He kept a bit of a low-profile over

the last few weeks. But has been campaigning over the weekend among

his Catholic -based. Jean-Luc Melenchon

is slightly behind. He has been campaigning on the canal

in Paris on a barge, going from stop to stop along the canal with a brass

band. He is an extraordinary campaign because he has this

hologram which also campaigns for him. It is a hologram of him.

Tomorrow, for instance, he will be in Dijon but also in six other

cities. It's genius. All the cameras are focused on this barge while all

the others are in traditional settings in big halls and stadiums,

everybody is focusing on him. He is a supreme campaign which is why he

is right up at the top. I think we need holograms in Georgia.

There is a test going on taking the form of special elections for

Congress. There are special elections

being held this month to fill the vacant seats in Congress,

after Mr Trump promoted a number of house representatives to senior

Government positions. One of them was Mike Pompeo

from Kansas, who is now Last week the Republicans held

onto his seat, a result Mr Trump "The recent

Kansas election - Congress - was a really big media event,

until the Republicans won. Now they play the same

game with Georgia-BAD!" Mr Trump was referring to another

election, that is tomorrow. That contest will decide who to send to

Washington in place of Tom Pryce. The seat Republicans have held since

the 1970s when Jimmy Carter was president.

It's a seat Republicans have held since Jimmy Carter was President -

but the Democrats think they can turn this into a referendum

Rajini Vaidyanathan reports from Georgia's Sixth District

We need is Democrats in Washington Donald Trump is a disaster.

Who do you think should win this seat?

For the very first time I'm voting Democrat.

The sixth Congressional district in Georgia has been

But Democrats think this man can win it back.

Jon Ossoff is a political adviser turned documentary

maker, who's raised more than $8 million in a race which has been

dubbed the "Make Trump Furious" campaign.

More than anything I think it would be a win for the thousands

of grassroots volunteers who are getting involved

many of whom have never been involved in politics before -

who see this as a moment when we need to stand

up and make a statement about the kind of politics we want.

There is no limit to the number of candidates

standing for a party and so there are a whopping 18 contenders -

11 are Republicans, which could split that

Unlike on the Democrat's side where there is a

coronation, Republicans believe in competition.

That competition has seen a number of anti-establishment

candidates enter the fray, including businessman Bruce Lavelle

This whole game has been changed, across

the country, and you will see - in the next two years

you are going to see that in mayoral races, City Council

races, Statehouse races, congressional races - because

Republicans and Democrats have done a horrible job at getting

involved with special interests and lobbyists and pay to play.

This crowded field of candidates includes local

politicians, business people who have never held office

In many ways this race reflects politics across America.

And that is why it is being watched so closely.

In November, Donald Trump won this district by a

tiny margin, after many Republican voters deserted the party.

The result here could hinge on how they vote this time.

I have traditionally been voting Republican.

I have not really been happy with the Trump

administration, and I want this as a message against the

I think more Democrats are excited than the

Republicans this time around, because of what we saw in this

I'm backing a Republican candidate that I think will do a good job.

I don't really care for Republicans these days -

I'm definitely not a fan of Donald Trump's.

And I'm probably going to vote for the Democrat.

Whatever happens here will send a message across America.

Could it be the start of the Democratic comeback,

or will it cement the Republican party onto Donald Trump?

This was a tweet he put out a few hours ago.

"The super Liberal Democrat in the Georgia Congressional race

tomorrow wants to protect criminals, allow illegal immigration

So if the Democrat candidate oneness it would be the biggest shock since

November? The Democrats only took 38% of the vote in that November

election. $8.3 million. I know you have political aspirations. If you

were that candidate, that's how much you were brought in. That may sway

it. Let's watch to see how energised those liberals are. But before we do

that, let's talk about Easter. I am sorry you are working.

It's Easter Monday and for those of us here in Washington,

that means one thing - the annual Easter Egg Roll

Yes, for one day and one day only, the business of the West Wing takes

place under the feet of thousands of screaming children.

First one for the Trumps of course - but this is an event,

And Christian, in 2008 - the Easter Bunny reporting

to the south lawn was no other than - the current Press Secretary

Sean Spicer who, back then, was an assistant US trade

representative for media and public affairs during George W.

With that in mind, I want to show you this next clip

from Saturday Night Live - lambasting Mr Spicer

"..at least Hitler never used chemical weapons,

Boo-hoo, what about the Holocaust centres?"

And yeah, I know they're not really called "Holocaust centres".

It would be really great if the nit-pickers could try to see

the big picture, and didn't solely focus on every little

The bunny outfit is a very good place to hide sometimes. Under those

big ears you can hide. She gets better and better, doesn't she? She

has Sean Spicer down. I know Donald Trump does not like that

interpretation, but it made my weekend. That was just fabulous. And

they still have Steve Bannen as the Grim Reaper. And they introduced

this week Gerard Kershner. He doesn't speak, he just looks good.

There was like in addition of the apprentice and the Grim Reaper got

kicked out. I think that's about it. And all we

can think about is Sean Spicer being played by Melissa McCarthy in a

bunny outfit. You've been watching

100 Days on BBC News. If you'd like to get in touch

with us, please do via Twitter using For now though, from Katty Kay

in Washington and me, Christian Fraser in London,

see you the same time The skies are starting to clear and

we are in for a chilly night. Touch of frost in many areas but