Printable Version
CNP Media Note: North Korea Deal
For Immediate
Release
Washington, Feb. 13, 2007
/ CNP Media Note / CNP President Tim Roemer
made the following statements
today:
On the North Korea
Agreement:
Rep. Roemer is encouraged
by the progress made in Beijing, saying, “The
initial reports that an agreement has been
reached as a result of the Six-Party Talks is
good news—I only wish this had happened four
years ago.”
Roemer, whose Center for
National Policy manages a grant from the
MacArthur Foundation to examine issues of
nuclear security and non-proliferation,
explained his frustration, saying, “The delay
in getting this agreement has allowed North
Korea to produce enough highly-enriched uranium
for many bombs. The North Korean government is
a known weapons proliferator. We’ve known this
for years. Both Democrats and Republicans agree
that the most urgent national security priority
is to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of
groups like al Qaeda. So while I welcome this
news, we may be closing the door after the
horses have left the barn.”
On the
implications for Iran:
Roemer said
this progress should lead to changes in our
nuclear standoff with Iran. He said, “The
successful multilateral negotiations with North
Korea should be a lesson for our policy towards
the Islamic Republic. Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert’s recent call to find ‘a way to
stop the Iranians from moving forward on their
nuclear program without violent actions,’ is
also welcome. Given the seriousness of the
situation next door in Iraq and in Afghanistan,
it is essential to end the counter-productive
saber-rattling and find a path to bi-lateral
talks.”
History is on the side of smart
international action, Roemer noted. “Our
post-invasion reporting from Iraq showed that
aggressive IAEA monitoring can be an effective
tool in containing nuclear weapons programs.
The U.S. needs to find a way to get IAEA
inspectors back into Iran, with full access to
their nuclear facilities.”
For more
information or to schedule an interview, please
contact:
Patrick C.
Doherty
Director of Communications
Center
for National Policy
One Massachusetts Ave.,
NW
Suite 333
Washington, DC
20001
+1-202-682-1800
main
+1-202-682-4119
direct
+1-202-682-1818 fax