Title: Maintaining North Korea's seizure of the vessel USS Pueblo and its detention of the crew were in violation of international law and seeking the return of the USS Pueblo to the United States.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution maintains that North Korea's seizure of the USS Pueblo and its crew is a violation of international law and declares that the ship should be returned to the United States.


[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 53 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 53

  Maintaining North Korea's seizure of the vessel USS Pueblo and its 
   detention of the crew were in violation of international law and 
       seeking the return of the USS Pueblo to the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 19, 2021

 Mr. Steube submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Maintaining North Korea's seizure of the vessel USS Pueblo and its 
   detention of the crew were in violation of international law and 
       seeking the return of the USS Pueblo to the United States.

Whereas the USS Pueblo is a commissioned ship of the United States Navy captured 
        by North Korea on January 23, 1968;
Whereas the USS Pueblo carried three 50-caliber machine guns and were not fired 
        when the USS Pueblo was being seized by North Korean patrol boats and 
        engaged in no hostilities against anyone, including North Korea;
Whereas the United States has made clear that the USS Pueblo was on an 
        intelligence collection mission in the Sea of Japan at the time of its 
        seizure by North Korea;
Whereas intelligence collection by vessels of this type is a standard and 
        accepted practice in the world today;
Whereas the USS Pueblo was engaged in a mission that is accepted by the navies 
        and governments of the world;
Whereas the USS Pueblo had strict orders to remain at all times at a distance 
        more than 13 nautical miles from the nearest point in North Korean 
        territory, in order to avoid any possible incident. The United States 
        has no reason to believe the orders were not obeyed;
Whereas even in the case of a warship that has entered territorial waters, the 
        coastal state is not entitled to assert any jurisdiction over it other 
        than to require the warship to leave the territorial sea if the warship 
        does not comply with regulations of the coastal state concerning passage 
        through the territorial sea and disregards a request for compliance;
Whereas the United States contends international law gives no such right to 
        seize a foreign war vessel within the territorial waters of North Korea; 
        and
Whereas all evidence shows that the USS Pueblo was on the high seas: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) maintains North Korea's seizure of the vessel USS 
        Pueblo and its detention of the crew were in violation of 
        international law; and
            (2) declares that USS Pueblo is the property of the United 
        States Government and it should be returned to the United 
        States.
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