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Kerry Statement on Reducing Nuclear Threats

July 13, 2004
Comunicados de prensa
noticias.info

Senator John Kerry released the following statement today in response to the President’s speech in Tennessee:

“The gravest threat we face is terrorists or hostile states getting their hands on a nuclear weapon. Since that dark day in September, have we reached out to our allies and forged an urgent global effort to ensure that nuclear weapons and materials are secured? Have we taken every step we should to stop North Korea and Iran’s nuclear programs? Have we restructured our intelligence agencies and given them the resources they need to keep our country safe?”

“The honest answer, in each of these areas, is that we have done too little, often too late, and even cut back our efforts. It’s not enough to give speeches – America will only be safer when we achieve results. The facts speak for themselves -- there was less nuclear weapons materials secured in the two years after 9/11 than in the two years before. North Korea has reportedly quadrupled its nuclear weapons capability in the past year. Iran is developing a nuclear weapons capability. Afghanistan has become a forgotten front in the war on terror.

“As president, my number one security goal will be to prevent terrorists from gaining weapons of mass murder. I have proposed an ambitious and aggressive plan for dramatically reducing the threats from nuclear terrorism -- we will greatly accelerate work to secure nuclear materials at risk and invest the time and leadership needed to address the nuclear threats in North Korea and Iran. I will appoint a National Director of Intelligence so that there is one individual with responsibility and accountability for intelligence operations.”

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