July 5, 2006“Yesterday’s launching of 6 missiles – including the long range Taepo-dong-2 missile -- by North Korea was a provocative act designed to get the attention of the international community.  This behavior is unacceptable and extremely worrisome.  The six-party talks which were established to find a solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis have remained stalled for too long because of lack of leadership.  Every day that passes without a resolution of the North Korean nuclear threat makes the Korean peninsula less stable and a greater threat to international peace and security.  It is now very clear that the Bush administration must urgently assume a leadership role, within the six-party talks and directly with North Korea as necessary, so that a political solution can be reached to remove the nuclear threat posed by that government.”