Thornberry: Deploy more BMD systems to South Korea

North Korea's alleged nuclear weapons test this week has sparked a call from a leading House Republican for deploying more missile defense systems to the Korean peninsula.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) said in a statement that "it may take some time to know exactly what was detonated in North Korea. But what is clear is that the world is rapidly growing more dangerous, and the United States cannot afford to focus only on ISIS or Iran or Russia. We must be prepared to protect our national security against many threats. Unfortunately, the view around the world is that U.S. leadership is in decline while the administration's inaction only fuels those concerns." He continued:

"The U.S. must work with our South Korean allies to deploy missile defense systems, including THAAD, on the peninsula and work at home to strengthen our homeland missile defenses.  We must also take immediate steps to strengthen our own nuclear deterrent, which is the foundation for our other defense capabilities."

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) said:

"Dictators like Kim Jong Un don't take time outs, they take advantage when the U.S. looks away. As Iran prepares to gain billions in sanctions relief, North Korea surely thinks it can intimidate the Obama administration into the same.

"The answer to North Korea's threats is more pressure, not less. This rogue regime has no interest in being a responsible state. It continues to starve its people while it works to advance nuclear, missile and cyber weapons that pose a direct threat to the U.S. and our allies. The administration's North Korea policy has proven a dramatic failure, and we urgently need a new approach."

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano released a statement on YouTube:

"The DPRK's nuclear test, if confirmed, is in clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and is deeply regrettable. I strongly urge the DPRK to implement fully all relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the IAEA. The IAEA remains ready to contribute to the peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue by resuming its nuclear verification activities in the DPRK once a political agreement is reached among countries concerned."