Local Congressmen React to Mounting North Korea Threat
Nukereaction
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News Service
Oct. 11
WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 – Congressmen north of Boston are calling for action to deal with the potential nuclear showdown with North Korea.
“North Korea is a known proliferator and there is nothing to suggest that they would have any qualms about selling a nuclear weapon to the highest bidder, such as al-Qaeda,” Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., said.
On Wednesday, President Bush said North Korea should face serious repercussions for its reported nuclear test – and that country’s officials said that increased pressure from the United States would be considered an act of war, according to Associated Press.
“If the U.S. keeps pestering us and increasing pressure, we will regard it as a declaration of war,” North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement to the Korean Central News Agency.
On Monday morning, North Korean officials said the country had successfully tested a nuclear bomb.
“The test stressed what we already knew: the Bush Administration’s foreign policy over the last six years has consistently mis-prioritized the threats facing our country and in doing so has made the world a less safe place,” Meehan said. “Our options to respond to and restrain North Korea are severely limited by the current situation in Iraq and our previous actions on the world stage.”
Speculation over the success of the test continues. The U.S. Geological Survey, a government earth science research organization, said it recorded a 4.2 magnitude tremor in that country – much smaller than that of nuclear tests in India and Pakistan in 1988.
North Korean officials acknowledged that the test – involving a four-kiloton nuclear device – was smaller than expected.
“This is a grave concern for the United States and its allies,” Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., said. “North Korea has defied international non-proliferation treaties and has proved its isolation from the international community.”
Bradley, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the United States should use diplomacy to solve the situation but also that the recent development in North Korea “highlights the urgent need to strengthen our missile defense.”
The United Nations Security Council has condemned the test and drafted a resolution that would impose tough sanctions, including U.S. proposals to prohibit trade in military and luxury goods and crack down on illegal dealings.
Japan on Wednesday banned North Korean imports, prohibited North Korean ships from entering Japanese ports and announced that North Korean nationals are no longer allowed in Japan, the AP reported.
The Chinese government said it is sending an envoy to the United States and Russia to discuss further steps.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said that there is no plan to invade North Korea but that all options are on the table, according to the AP.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., issued a statement Tuesday urging the U.N. Security Council to respond quickly and decisively and work with United States allies in the region.
“The last thing the world needs is for this nuclear crisis to spiral further out of control,” Kennedy said.
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