Wayne Allard: “Mr. President, I rise now, 40 years since the North Korean government unlawfully captured the lightly armed U.S.S.…”

“Mr. President, I rise now, 40 years since the North Korean government unlawfully captured the lightly armed U.S.S. Pueblo while it was on a routine surveillance mission in international waters. The U.S.S Pueblo was the first ship of the U.S. Navy to be hijacked on the high seas by a foreign military force in more than 150 years, and is currently the only commissioned U.S. naval vessel that is in the possession of a foreign nation. Forty years ago today, 83 crew members were kidnapped and 1 sailor was killed in the assault. Following the capture, our men were held in deplorable, inhumane conditions for more than 11 months before being released. While we were grateful to see the return of our brave sailors, 40 years later we are still waiting for the return of the U.S.S. Pueblo. The U.S.S. Pueblo remains a commissioned naval ship and property of the U.S. Navy. Currently, the North Korean government flaunts the Pueblo as a war trophy and a tourist attraction in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital. We must not continue to remain silent about North Korea's continued violation of international law by possessing our ship, the U.S. Navy's ship.”