Senate Proceeding 07-21-09 on Jul 21st, 2009 :: 2:49:00 to 2:59:10
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2:48:57 to 2:49:19( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: the conclusion of his remarks that the senator from delaware be recognized as if in morning the presiding officer: objection. a senator: mr. presi the presiding officer: the

2:49:00 to 2:59:10( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John Kerry

2:49:20 to 2:49:44( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: senator from massachusetts. mr. kerry: mr. obviously north korea's actions in testing a nuclear device on may 25th, and launching ballistic

2:49:45 to 2:50:07( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: missiles on the appropriate objection in many different ways of china, japan, south korea, the united states, and many other countries. clearly those actions threaten to undermine the peace

2:50:08 to 2:50:30( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: security of north ease asia and -- east asia and the united states' response to those actionses ought to be and i believe is already resolute. china responded very clearly. theanctions had been toughened, individual sanctions for the first time. a number of steps were taken by

2:50:31 to 2:50:51( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: both the united nations and china. china, incidentally, unprecedented in some of -- personalize -- personally put in some of the sanctions that were put in place. i know that the senator from kansas cares enormously about the underlying issue here. but i have to say that this

2:50:52 to 2:51:12( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: amendment is, while well intended, it simply doesn't do what it's supposed to do. it has no impact other than the sense of the senate sending a message, which at this particular moment i think, frankly, works counterproductively to other

2:51:13 to 2:51:33( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: efforts that are under way. right now the secretary of state is meeting. right now the various countries involved in this delicate process are working to determine how to proceed to -- proceed forward with respect to getting back to talks and defusing these tensions. and f

2:51:34 to 2:51:54( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: just to pop on an amendment like this at this moment in time, only sends a signal that complicates that process, but it also, frankly, will make it more difficult, i think, to secure the

2:51:55 to 2:52:15( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: journalists, laura lee. it is inappropriate without a foundation in the law. let me be very specific. when president bush lifted the designation of terrorism -- in fact, nothing -- not the senator from kansas has laid

2:52:16 to 2:52:38( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: out here actually is supported either by the intelligence or by the facts. and i could go through his amendment let me give an example. on march 17th -- this is one of the findings. on march 17th, american journalists were seized by the china border by agents.

2:52:39 to 2:52:59( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: he's citing that as a mash nape for -- citing that as a rational for putting them back on the list. the families have acknowledged that they, in fact, were arrested the border. so that's inappropriate. not only is it inappropriate to cite a fact that is not fact, but it is not a cause for putting somebody on the

2:53:00 to 2:53:22( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: terrorism list. nowh cited here fit into the statutes that apply to whether or not somebody is designated as appropriately being on the terrorist list. let me be more specific about that. when president bush took them off the list, here's what they said. this is the president's certification. the current intelligence

2:53:23 to 2:53:44( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: assessment satisfies the second statutory requirement for rescission. following the review of all available information, we see no credible evidence at this time of ongoing support by the dprk for inter we assess that the current intelligence assessment, including the

2:53:45 to 2:54:05( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: assessment published in 2008 provides certification for the president by congress that north korea has not provided any support for international te six-month period. there is no intelligence showing to the contrary as we come to the floor here today and it is inappropriate for the senate simply to step in and assert to the contrary. moreover the president said our

2:54:06 to 2:54:28( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: review of intelligence community asssments indicates that there is no credible or sustained reporting at this time that supports allegations including as cited in recent reports by the congressional research service that the provided direct or willing support for hez bowl acor the --

2:54:29 to 2:54:49( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: hezbollah or the revolutionary guard. should we retain support for dpkr in the future, the president could designate dprk as a ste sponsor of terrorism. well, we haven't, mr. president. it simply doesn't fit under the requirements. we need t here. this amendment is flawed and --

2:54:50 to 2:55:10( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: i am convinced could actually undermine what i know is going on right now in terms of efforts by a number of different parties to try to move this process forward. this is not the way a responsible united states senate ought to go about trying to deal with an issue of this kind of diplomatic consequence.

2:55:11 to 2:55:32( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: the relisting, incidentally, has no practical effect in terms of anything that it would do with respect to our current policy other than, you know, raise the issue with respect to the senate at this inappropriately with respect to the statutes that are president bush actually

2:55:33 to 2:55:54( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: eserved all of the existing financial sanctions on north korea at the time that he the terror kept them all in place by using other provisions of law. the fact is that -- that this administration has, in responded in order to put real

2:55:55 to 2:56:15( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: costs on north korea for its actions. we led the international effort at the united security council and we did enact sweeping new sanctions on north korea. by all accounts they are biting. the u.n. security council resolution 1874 passed unanimously imposed the first ever comprehensi

2:56:16 to 2:56:37( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: arms embargo on north korea. thoseanctions are now beginning to take effect, mr. president. and the north korean ship suspected of carrying arms to burma turned around after it was denied bunkering services in singapore and the government of burm be

2:56:38 to 2:56:59( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: ensure that it confirmed the u.n. arms embargo. that has significantly china has imposed sanctions on north korean companies and individuals involved in nuclear and ballistic missile proliferation much the imposed by the obama administration in concert with the international community are having so i think we ought to give them

2:57:00 to 2:57:22( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: time to work, mr. president. i don't think we ought to come in here and change the dynamics that, as i say, i know are currently being worked on by the secretary of state as we are here in the senate t meetings are taking place. it's better for the united states and the international community to focus our efforts on concrete steps rather than

2:57:23 to 2:57:43( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: resort to a toothless and symbolic gesture. this will have no impact, ultimately, because we're still going to go down our course, but it can ripple the process which the administration has chosen to pursue. i might also point out, mr. president, the president and secretary of state have been closely communicating with allies and with partners in the region.

2:57:44 to 2:58:05( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: they are currently involved in discussions with china, russia, south korea and japan on this issue. and even as we debate the issue forum is specifically geared to form our approach with the treaty allies an others. we ought to give the

2:58:06 to 2:58:27( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: administration an opportunity to succeed. third, mr. president, obviously all of us reject the recent actions taken by north korea. there is no doubt about that. but it wasn't so long ago that we were actually making some progress on the denuclearization effort and observers of the region are those who are expert

2:58:28 to 2:58:48( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: and who follow it closely, are all in agreement as to the rationale for which -- which has driven north kor of the actions that it has. i was in china about a month and a half ago. i spent some time with chinese leaders on this issue because one of the missile -- one of the tests took place while i was there. and i saw the chinese reaction

2:58:49 to 2:59:09( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: up close and personal. i saw the degree to which they were truly upset by it, disturbed by it and to deal with it. and the fact is that they explained it as have others as a reaction by north korea to perhaps three thing one, the

2:59:10 to 2:59:10( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: succession issues in north korea