Washington, DC (May 24, 2018) – The Quaker lobby, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), today said that President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel the planned June 12 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore is a huge mistake and increases the threat of war.
Contact: Adlai Amor, adlai@fcnl.org; 202-423-7989
“As a Quaker lobby in the United States, we believe war is not the answer. Our nation must pursue diplomacy because the path of war is littered with false promises and unexpected consequences,” said Diane Randall, FCNL Executive Secretary. “As a matter of public policy, we urge members of Congress to demand a return to the negotiating table with the full understanding that diplomacy is a marathon, not a sprint; and that these talks must be based on negotiations, not threats.”
FCNL emphasized that war on the Korean Peninsula is unacceptable. It urged Congress to pass legislation S. 2047, introduced by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and H.R. 4387, introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), making clear that the president may not launch a preventive military strike against North Korea without explicit congressional approval.
FCNL said that abandoning diplomacy will not only embarrass South Korea but will also cause other allies in Asia and Europe to question American reliability and constancy. It will increase the chances that misunderstanding or an accident could spark a conflict killing millions.
“Walking away from a meeting will not eliminate a single North Korean nuclear weapon, uranium centrifuge, or plutonium production reactor,” said Anthony Wier, FCNL’s Legislative Secretary for Nuclear Disarmament and Pentagon Spending. “Walking away from a meeting will do nothing to slow North Korea’s ballistic missile development.”
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2IHYr4Z and contact Adlai Amor.
Founded in 1943 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), FCNL lobbies Congress and the administration for U.S. policies that advance peace, justice, and good government.
