Pete Hoekstra

Contact: Dave Yonkman 202.225.4401

Washington, Nov 10 - U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement after excerpts of an upcoming United Nations report on North Korean nuclear proliferation activities appeared in the press:

“The United Nations will apparently confirm what many in the international community already know — that North Korea is led by a rogue regime that is actively trafficking in nuclear material with other rogue nations. North Korea, Iran, Syria and Burma are four countries where it is in no nation’s interest to see nuclear weapon and ballistic missile proliferation activities. Yet we are confronted repeatedly by public and international reports of their efforts to purchase and proliferate weapons of mass destruction.

“China, Russia and the United Nations need to get serious about this growing and dangerous threat. It is irresponsible for world powers to continue whistling past the problem as the threats to international stability posed by North Korean and Iranian nuclear efforts continue to grow. President Obama also must speak forcefully about the risks and challenges of nuclear proliferation and push the U.N. toward forceful and necessary action to halt the spread of these weapons.

“The time is now for much tougher and determined international action to halt nuclear and missile proliferation by irresponsible state actors before we are forced to confront a global nightmare — the acquisition of WMD by terrorist, non-state actors.”