North Korea

Floor Speech

NORTH KOREA -- (Senate - June 08, 2009)

Mr. DeMINT. Madam President, all of us know the United States is facing many challenges at home and abroad today. We are in the middle of an economic crisis. Many Americans are losing their jobs. We are also being tested by our enemies and potential enemies all around the world. We have certainly seen Iran continue its nuclear weapons program. It snubbed its nose at the international community as the international community asked it to halt.

Recently, perhaps the most alarming threat to our security has come from North Korea. We have seen them fire test missiles over the last year, actually test a very powerful nuclear weapon, and now they are telling us they are going to test a rocket that is capable of reaching our shores. In the middle of this, they kidnapped two Americans and sentenced them to, I think, 12 years in a labor camp.

Throughout all this, America has talked tough, but I am afraid North Korea believes we are all talk.

The problem with our position with North Korea at this point is there are other rogue nations looking at what is happening and seeing that they can basically ignore the United States and the international community and continue to be a growing threat to all of us.

It is very important that the United States not reward this behavior as we have done for North Korea. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was added to the State Department's ``State Sponsors of Terrorism'' list in 1988 for activities ranging from the protection of Japanese terrorists to its role in the bombing of a Korean airliner. Since that time, North Korea has remained, as a matter of documented fact, a sponsor of terrorism.

Last June, President Bush announced his intention to remove North Korea from the list. At no time before or since has anyone said that North Korea ceased to be a state sponsor of terror. The delisting of North Korea was a carrot waved in front of Kim Jong Il as part of a well-meaning but extremely dangerous attempt to deal diplomatically with the urgent problem of North Korea's illegal nuclear programs. Secretary of State Clinton acknowledges that North Korea was delisted only in exchange for North Korea's commitment to abandon its nuclear weapons program and submit to outside verification.

Since then, I think as most of us know, North Korea has gone further in its campaign of militant destabilization of the world than ever before. It has detonated a large nuclear bomb. It has launched missiles capable of hitting our allies. It has withdrawn from the six-party talks. It has reprocessed spent fuel rods. It has withdrawn from the United Nation's treaty that ended
the Korean war over 50 years ago. It has announced its intention to launch a ballistic missile capable of hitting the Western United States.

In response to these threats, I and seven of my colleagues wrote Secretary Clinton asking that she relist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. In addition, Senator Brownback and I authored amendments that have been endorsed by 15 Senators directing Secretary Clinton to redesignate North Korea. The response thus far has fallen short. Secretary Clinton says relisting is being considered but as part of an ongoing diplomatic process. President Obama has offered strong words, but we have yet to see action.

North Korea has proven that it is immune to talk, whether that talk be sweet or tough. The President gave a speech last week saying that good relationships require speaking ``clearly and ..... plainly'' about international controversies. Relisting North Korea will speak clearly and plainly about the true nature of North Korea's regime. It will send a strong signal to our allies in the Pacific.

It is now clear that President Bush's diplomatic gamble, which many opposed last year, has failed. North Korea has exploited its newfound flexibility and respectability and used it to threaten Asia and the United States. They have tapped unfrozen assets to fund their mischief, and they remain a supplier to both Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Secretary Clinton's statement over the weekend that she wants ``to see recent evidence of [North Korea's] support for international terrorism'' misses the point. North Korea was not delisted because it ceased assisting in sponsoring terror. If a convicted arsonist is released on parole, he does not have to burn down a house to go back to prison. Any crime will do. That is where we are with North Korea today. They are not operating in the spirit or letter of their agreements, and without a shred of good faith. They have not reformed and cannot be trusted. They are a state sponsor of terror and should be recognized for it.

Once relisted, North Korea will suffer consequences for its aggressive provocations. There will be trade restrictions, there will be sanctions and the refreezing of assets to limit North Korea's ability to fund its weapons program. Relisting North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism will let them and the world know that the United States is serious--something this administration has yet to do.

I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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