Kyl's Statement Regarding North Korean Missile Launch

U.S. Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl made the following statement regarding North Korea’s launch of a long-range ballistic missile:“This launch is yet another reckless display by one of the world’s most brutal and dictatorial regimes. It makes clear that the North Koreans are investing significant resources and effort to advance the capability of their missile systems.“Clearly, missile defenses against threats from rogue regimes are more important than ever, and I urge the Obama administration to fully fund the Missile Defense Agency this year. “North Korea is the world’s most prolific proliferator of ballistic missile technology so we should also be concerned about reports that Iranian technicians and observers were present in North Korea for this launch. “I was pleased that Secretary Clinton recently reaffirmed that this test is a violation of United Nations sanctions. I anxiously await her decisions to sanction North Korean entities involved in this test and all known proliferators of North Korean ballistic missile technology. “Moreover, North Korea’s recent kidnapping of two American journalists must be addressed immediately. Abducting our citizens is a terrorist act, and North Korea should therefore be immediately relisted as a state sponsor of terror.”