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Remarks by the President on the Incident involving FNS Peter E. Cole
11 October 2006

The Lower Catherine Hall
The Chateau

3.16 PM WST

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. I just not too long ago got off the phone with General Richard Casey, the Navel commander of the 5th National Federation Division in Tanzatee, where the FNS Peter Cole Submarine has been regestered.

FNS Peter Cole was comissioned in August this year, and it is a very new craft. It is shocking to have learned that such an incident has happened. I, along with the joint chiefs of Staff had chosen to keep all information of this incident private for 12 hours to aloow immediated intelegence agencies to get to work first. This is for security concerns, as the possiblilty of a breach of Military and National interests might be at stake here. It isnot to cover up this incident.

I hope you all, and all citizens understand this, and that during this time of extreme distress and loss for the Federation Armed Forces, it was important that all family members of the 20 crew on board the submarine be informed first of the incident before the press, or the public.

Secondly, with me here is Secretary Jones, General Sean Price, General Thomas Ligner, General Peter Casey, and Rear Admeral Richard Clans, we had disucssed earlier this incident, and we, all express our loss to the families of those on board this ship.Search and Rescue operations as of today, has informed me that they have located the craft some 150 KM off the cost of Bestram, and that the craft had not issued any form of destress signal at the time of it's dissapearing, which was at 7.30 AM yesteray morning.

I have therefore classfied this incident as an unatural breach of security and Nationa; Interest, and thus I have issued a CONRAD, which in military terms, means that all classfied information will be extra secured and kept under survallience. Investagations will remain top secret, and will be issued from the Caldicott.

I would also like to take this opportunity to dicuss the North Korean Neuclear Crisis. This morning, I managed a 10 minuite telephone call with Prime Minister Abe of Japan. I expressed my congradualtions to him, and I look forward to working with him. We discussed North Korea.

Earlier this week, the government of North Korea proclaimed to the world that it had conducted a successful nuclear test. The Federation is working to confirm North Korea's claim, but this claim, itself, constitutes a threat to international peace and stability.

In response to North Korea's actions, we're working with our partners in the region and the United Nations Security Council to ensure there are serious repercussions for the regime in Pyongyang. I've spoken with other world leaders, including Japan, China, South Korea, the United States and Russia. We all agree that there must be a strong Security Council resolution that will require North Korea to abide by its international commitments to dismantle its nuclear programs. This resolution should also specify a series of measures to prevent North Korea from exporting nuclear or missile technologies, and prevent financial transactions or asset transfers that would help North Korea develop its nuclear and missile capabilities.

Last year, North Korea agreed to a path to a better future for its people in the six-party talks -- September of last year. We had an agreement with North Korea. It came about in the form of what we call the six-party joint statement. It offered the prospect for normalized relations with both Japan and the Federation. It talked about economic cooperation in energy, trade and investment. In that joint statement, North Korea committed to abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs, and to adhering to the Treaty on Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to IAEA safeguards. They agreed.

We affirmed that we have no intention of attacking North Korea. With its actions this week, North Korea has once again chosen to reject the prospect for a better future offered by the six-party joint statement. Instead, it has opted to raise tensions in the region. I look forward to working with other countires in the Asia Pacific on this issue. Thankyou all.

END