Congressman Turner, Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land forces sent a letter to President Obama following claims by the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that it has successfully detonated a thermonuclear device.
The text of the letter is below:
January 6, 2016
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
As you prepare for your State of the Union address to Congress next week, it is imperative that you plan to share with us a comprehensive strategy to counter North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and restore stability to the Korean Peninsula. The alleged detonation of a nuclear device by North Korea is in clear violation of international law and presents a direct threat to the United States and our many allies in the region.
North Korea is a nuclear proliferator and has chosen a dangerous path of steady escalation. Since you first took office in 2009, North Korea has successfully detonated three nuclear devices and launched a multistage rocket capable of striking targets in the United States. Despite these significant milestones achieved by North Korea, your Administration has taken no action to curtail further proliferation or develop critical defense systems, such as an additional missile defense site capable of defending the U.S. homeland.
At a 2013 speech in Berlin, Germany, you stated that it was your goal to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and “reject the nuclear weaponization that North Korea and Iran may be seeking.” Since your speech in Berlin, North Korea has doubled its nuclear efforts, and your Administration has agreed to a deal with Iran that provides a clear path toward possessing a nuclear weapon.
North Korea’s continued development of nuclear weapons and advanced delivery capabilities must be met with decisive action and condemnation by the entire international community. As you prepare to speak before Congress next week, it is my sincere hope that you are fully prepared to outline a comprehensive strategy focused on countering North Korea’s nuclear program.
Sincerely,
Congressman Mike Turner
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