The tragedy in Japan continues to dominate the news. The scale of the devastation and suffering is unimaginable. Even though we watch in safety from the other side of the planet, I believe I speak for all of our committee members in saying that our hearts and our thoughts and our prayers are with the people of Japan during this terrible crisis, especially those who have lost loved ones and those whose lives have been unexpectedly upended and filled with despair.The ongoing situation is of direct relevance to today's hearing. Many are already predicting that the global nuclear revival now under way will be stopped in its tracks by the images of exploding nuclear reactors, terrified refugees, and the prospect of huge areas rendered uninhabitable. These events have already begun to influence the debate over nuclear energy in the United States and in Europe.However, China and other countries--especially in the Middle East--are unlikely to be deterred from their nuclear ambitions, and it is in these countries that are pursuing nuclear power for political aims, many for destructive goals, that the risk of proliferation is the greatest. Rogue nations attempting to build a nuclear weapons program need a nuclear energy program to use as cover.