REP. ANDREWS URGES STRONG STANCE AGAINST NORTH KOREA’S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM: NORTH KOREA MUST BE COMPELLED TO DISARM

By resuming the development of its nuclear weapons program, North Korea has directly violated the Agreed Framework entered into by the United States and North Korea on October 21, 1994.  For the safety and security of the region, I believe that North Korea must be compelled to disarm and abandon all efforts to develop nuclear weaponry.

To diffuse North Korea's hostile stance toward the United States and other foreign nations I believe that the United States should take an aggressive stance by urging other foreign nations to halt all non-humanitarian aid to North Korea until they agree to dispose of their nuclear program. Economic isolation would be quite damaging to the North Korean economy, and would therefore compel the North Korean government to give serious consideration to the concerns expressed by the international community. In enacting this strategy, I feel it is imperative for the United States and the global community to continue humanitarian efforts to assist the North Korean people, as it is the government, and not the citizens, who violated these agreements.

While the ongoing six-party peace talks can be beneficial, I do not feel that diplomatic discussions alone will provide a solution to this problem. Rather, the United States must join with other like-minded nations and compel North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions through damaging economic sanctions.

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