[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 4, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S4827]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL WMD RESOLUTION
Mr. KYL. Mr. President, speaking before the UN General Assembly in
September, President Bush asked the Security Council to take a firm
stand against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, WMD.
President Bush asked for a Security Council resolution that would call
on all nations to criminalize proliferation, enact strict export
controls and secure these terrible weapons within their own borders.
Seven months later, on April 28, the UN Security Council unanimously
passed Resolution 1540 fulfilling the President's goals. Those who have
argued that this administration has turned its back on the
international community need only look at the diverse group of
nations--from Algeria to Angola, Chile to China, Pakistan to the
Philippines--that stood with the United States in this important battle
in the war on terror to dispel such notions.
It is now up to the members of the United Nations to follow the
Security Council lead and enact the provisions that will help stem the
flow of dangerous weapons and technology.
This resolution is the culmination of the administration's hard work,
led by Under Secretary of State John Bolton, to halt the proliferation
of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. The President's
proliferation security initiative, launched last March, embodies these
efforts. It has brought together nations from North America, Europe,
Africa, and Asia to interdict shipments of WMD around the world. This
resolution endorses such important collective action and I urge all
nations to join in the effort.
I applaud the administration and the Security Council for helping
take an important step to building a safer, more secure world.
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