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For Immediate Release
September 26, 2006 |
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Shays Holds Hearing on Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT)
today held an oversight hearing to examine the importance
of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and appropriate steps
to strengthen the nonproliferation regime.
Shays is Co-Chair of the Nonproliferation Task Force.
Today Shays heard testimony from Dr. Hans Blix, formerly
the chief United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq, and now
Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission; Mr.
William Tobey, Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation,
National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy;
Mr. Andrew Semmel, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, International
Security and Nonproliferation, Department of State; Mr. Jack
David, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Combating
Weapons of Mass Destruction and Negotiations Policy, Department
of Defense; Mr. Gene Aloise, Director, Natural Resources and
Environment, Government Accountability Office; Ambassador
Thomas Graham, Chairman of the Bipartisan Security Group,
Global Security Institute; Mr. Baker Spring, the F. M. Kirby
Research Fellow for National Security Policy, The Heritage
Foundation; Mr. Jonathan Granoff, President, Global Security
Institute; Mr. Henry Sokolski, Executive Director of the Nonproliferation
Education Center; and Professor Frank von Hippel, Co-Chairman
of the International Panel on Fissile Materials.
The following is Shays opening statement:
“If the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons (NPT) had not been created nearly 40 years ago and
consistently upheld, it is likely there would be many more
countries with nuclear weapons.
“As President Ronald Reagan urged at the fifteenth
signing anniversary of the NPT, 'All states should rededicate
themselves to achieving the purposes of this important treaty
and to ensure its continued vitality.'
“Since 1968, nearly 190 nations have signed on to the
NPT, and pledged not to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange
for access to the benefits of peaceful nuclear technology
and a commitment by the United States, Russia, Britain, France
and China—all nuclear-weapons states—to negotiate
nuclear disarmament.
“In 1987, President Reagan encapsulated a key point
of the NPT success when he famously said to then-Soviet leader
Mikhail Gorbachev, 'Trust, but verify.' The International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards system verifies compliance
with the NPT. This system has been the cornerstone of efforts
to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
“But a powerful global nuclear threat still remains
today. The Treaty is not perfect. States such as India, Pakistan
and North Korea have declared they have nuclear weapons. Terrorist
organizations such as al-Qaeda continue to seek chemical,
biological, radiological and even nuclear weapons.
“In the face of these threats, rededication to the
NPT is especially critical to ensure international peace,
stability and security.
“Today we focus on challenges the world community faces
from nuclear weapons proliferation and how the non-proliferation
regime can be strengthened to effectively counter this threat
to our civilization.
“We look forward to three panels of distinguished witnesses
testifying before our Committee today who will answer these
questions:
- Why has the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons failed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons?
- What steps should be taken to strengthen compliance with
the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons?”
Contact: Sarah Moore, 202/225-5541
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