Statement of Senator Carl Levin on Need for Negotiations with North Korea

Statement of Senator Carl Levin on Need for Negotiations with North Korea

WASHINGTON - Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., issued the following statement today:

Yesterday North Korea announced for the third time that it had finished reprocessing its 8,000 spent plutonium fuel rods, which is enough to make about six nuclear weapons.

The reaction from the White House was dismissive. Secretary of State Colin Powell said, "Well, first of all, I would say that this is the third time they have told us they'd just finished reprocessing the rods. We have no evidence to confirm that, and so they say, once again, they have reprocessed the rods and they say, once again, that they are going to go forward with their program. I believe that this is a matter of the most serious concern for the international community, and I think North Korea's neighbors should also be delivering a message to Kim Jong-Il that the solution to the problem is for them to stop moving in this direction, continue to participate in the diplomacy that is underway. The United States is reviewing the results of the six-party meeting that we held in Beijing not too long ago, and we are examining ways, in cooperation with our colleagues in the area, to provide the kinds of security assurances that might help to move the process further along."

I continue to be concerned that the administration is not moving aggressively enough to engage the North Koreans in negotiations to completely and verifiably eliminate their nuclear weapons program. Despite urging from our allies in South Korea and Japan, and the Chinese government, the President has not indicated that he is ready to place a serious negotiating package before the North Koreans. Reviewing the results of the August meeting should not take long, because there was no concrete outcome. Indeed, that meeting even failed to result in agreement to meet again. Time is not on our side. This is not just a matter of serious concern, but -- plain and simple -- a crisis. While the administration "reviews results" the North Koreans get closer to developing a serious nuclear weapons capability.