Keating: North Korean Missile Launch ‘Provocation’ by Kim Regime

William Richard Keating

WASHINGTON – Congressman Bill Keating calls the latest missile launch by North Korea “another provocation” by Pyongyang, and criticized the Trump administration’s response to rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

In a statement, the Bourne Democrat said all world leaders need to do their part to help deescalate the North Korean threat, and that the issues need to be addressed through “strong and committed leadership” instead of “diplomacy by social media,” an apparent jab at President Donald Trump’s use of Twitter.

Keating is the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade and visited South Korea in December as part of the congressional delegation trip.

You can read his statement below:

“North Korea’s decision to launch a missile over Japan is yet another provocation by their leadership. They have been increasing their capacity to attack the United States and its allies and these repeated ‘tests’ should concern everyone,” Keating said. “Given the military and economic costs of nuclear arms races and war – not to mention the most important issue: the loss of human lives – all world leaders should be doing everything in their power to deescalate the growing threat from North Korea. Addressing these issues takes strong and committed leadership not diplomacy by social media.”

“I supported the sanctions package on Russia, Iran, and North Korea because I believed that was a necessary step in tackling North Korea’s continued provocations,” Keating added. “However, I have not seen this Administration capitalize on that momentum and move forward in a deliberate and focused manner to address this very real national security threat to the United States and our allies.”