Behind Enemy Lines: Axis of Evil

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Korea, 1950.

America fights in a war

that leaves two million dead.

The fighting ends in a draw,

leaving Korea divided...

North and South...

and technically still at war.

The North becomes a surreal blend

of Stalinism, Communism...

and cult of personality dictatorship,

known to the world...

as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,

or the D.P.R.K.

April 1994.

The D.P.R.K. Stuns the world...

when it announces its withdrawal

from the nonproliferation treaty...

and reveals its plan

to build nuclear weapons.

May 1994.

Determined to prevent North Korea

from becoming a nuclear power...

President Bill Clinton orders

Defense Secretary William Perry...

to draw up military OPLAN 5027...

a U.S. Surgical strike

on the nuclear reactor at Yongbyon.

Many voice their concern

the D.P.R.K. Might retaliate...

with their 11,000 artillery tubes

trained on Seoul, South Korea.

Just as the N.S.C. Is meeting

to discuss the evacuation...

of all nonmilitary personnel

in Seoul...

there is a telephone call

from former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

As a private citizen, President

Carter had flown to Pyongyang...

met with North Korea's leader,

Kim II Sung...

and struck a deal

which averted military action.

Had OPLAN 5027 been executed...

the Pentagon had projected

up to one million deaths.

Few people realize,

in June 1994...

America was days, if not hours,

away from war with North Korea.

They're gonna crucify Weylon for this.

- How long till launch time?

- They're saying six days.

- Ten-hut!

- Good morning, sir.

All right, Weylon.

Tell me what you know.

Mr. President, Secretary of Defense Beekman

is in Qatar for the week...

unless you direct him home sooner.

General Vance,

as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs...

- will be discussing the military viewpoint.

- Mr. President.

General.

Sir, approximately six hours ago...

the Satellite Reconnaissance Center

analyzed imaging data from a...

- Mr. President, um...

- Oh, I'm sorry, guys. Be seated.

Imaging data from a KH...12 over North Korea...

showing what we can now

say with certainty...

is a three...stage, Topol...class

intercontinental ballistic missile...

at the Yongjiri missile center.

We were fortunate to acquire these images

as the crane was loading the missile...

into its underground silo.

If it was half an hour later,

we never would have seen it.

The longest...range missile

North Korea had prior to this...

would have run out of fuel

somewhere over Alaska.

Three stages means it can hit New York,

Washington, D.C. Anywhere in CONUS.

- What do we know about its payload?

- It's impossible to say.

- Could it be a warhead or a nuclear device?

- We can't say.

It's not likely, Mr. President.

The Lockheed KH...12

has a rotating periscope mirror...

which means it can get

a high angle of obliquity.

We're gonna spin the bird around,

get a better angle.

That'll help us

determine the load.

We've always assumed North Korea would

never deploy a long-range missile like this...

because of our certain

and inevitable military response.

Sir, even test-firing a three-stage rocket

is a 10-year leap forward...

in their strategic capabilities...

and it represents a direct and grave threat

to our national security.

We won't let that happen.

Let's try to keep things under

control tonight, okay?

Let's try.

- Shultiess, how you doin'?

- Good, sir.

What are you doing?

Master Chief asked me to tell him

when this old man gets off the phone.

Well, carry on.

Where'd you find the banana?

Looks like he's 12.

He speaks some Korean,

and he's a hell of a shot.

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