UN passes sanctions against North Korea.

[ethyl]

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | UN vote backs N Korea sanctions

Seems like a decent resolution. The US got the weapons embargo and China and Russia got assurance that force won't be used if NK doesn't comply. I'd like to see the details of the cargo inspection procedures... and how much shit will go down once the first NK ship is boarded.

UN vote backs N Korea sanctions
Chinese visitors at the border between China and North Korea
North Korea's neighbours are keen to avoid any conflict
The UN Security Council has voted unanimously in favour of a resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea over its claimed nuclear test.

Resolution 1718 imposes weapons and financial sanctions but is not backed by the threat of military force.

The North Korean envoy walked out after the vote, which followed hours of intensive talks aimed at allaying concerns raised by China and Russia.

North Korea claimed to have tested a nuclear bomb last Monday.

The resolution:

# Demands North Korea eliminate all its nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.

# Requires all countries to prevent the sale or transfer of materials related to Pyongyang's unconventional weapons programmes, as well as large-sized military items such as tanks, missiles and helicopters.

# Demands nations freeze funds overseas of people or businesses connected with North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

# Allows nations to inspect cargo moving in and out of North Korea in pursuit of non-conventional weapons.

# Is not backed up by the threat of military force.

# Calls on Pyongyang to return "without precondition" to stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear programme.

US ambassador to the UN John Bolton said the claimed missile test posed "one of the gravest threats to international peace and security that this council has ever had to confront".

China backed the resolution, but UN envoy Wang Guangya told the Security Council that China had "reservations" about cargo inspections.

China and Russia have been concerned such checks could spark naval confrontations with North Korean boats.

Mr Wang called on UN member states to refrain from "provocative steps" with respect to the inspections.

North Korea's UN envoy Pak Gil Yon walked out of the chamber after saying Pyongyang "totally rejects" the "unjustifiable" resolution.

He said it was "gangster-like" for the Security Council to have adopted a "coercive resolution" while neglecting US pressure on North Korea.

"If the United States increases pressure on the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea, the DPRK will continue to take physical countermeasures considering it as a declaration of war," he said.

Revised resolution

Negotiators have struggled to agree a resolution text acceptable to China and Russia, both permanent Security Council members with strong ties to North Korea.

The US proposed the initial draft resolution, but revised it to remove the threat of imminent military action in an effort to allay Chinese and Russian concerns.

It also reduced the total embargo on military equipment it initially wanted to a ban on imports of specific items such as tanks, helicopters and missiles. The vote came after US officials said initial tests had detected radioactive gas consistent with a nuclear explosion near the site of North Korea's claimed nuclear test last Monday.

Throughout the week there has been uncertainty about whether North Korea carried out a nuclear test, tried to but failed, or made a false claim.

White House officials cautioned that this result alone did not confirm a successful test but it could mean that a nuclear test had been attempt

[JaJae]

Too little. Too late.

[JaJae]

Bolton does not look amused.

[WickedLou9]

That's actually pretty weak

[SpicyMcVoodoo]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Bolton does not look amused.

I covet that man's mustache with every fiber of my being.

[Thorgrim]

But surely, Bush and the Republicans will come to the rescue...?

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

But surely, Bush and the Republicans will come to the rescue...?

This isn't something Bush, Republicans, the next president or Democrats can fix. This is a global problem and something we all need a hand in. We've tried the one on one thing with N. Korea before and it only made matters worse... much worse.

The world needs to wise up.

[ethyl]

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

That's actually pretty weak

NK makes a lot of its money from arms shipments, especially missiles to Pakistan, Libya, Syria, etc.. Ending their business and preventing any potential shipments of non-conventional weapons seems like a good step.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by JaJae

This isn't something Bush, Republicans, the next president or Democrats can fix. This is a global problem and something we all need a hand in. We've tried the one on one thing with N. Korea before and it only made matters worse... much worse.

The world needs to wise up.

The US is the leader of the free world and we can't fix it?

So are we going to have to grovel to the Chinese and Russians to fix it for us? How honorable

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

The US is the leader of the free world and we can't fix it?

So are we going to have to grovel to the Chinese and Russians to fix it for us? How honorable

grovel?

How about make this a UN problem and have the world stand firm and fix the problem that is N. Korea? I know the UN sucks, but we need to get them more involved and less PC on these issues.

[6SpeedTA95]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

The US is the leader of the free world and we can't fix it?

So are we going to have to grovel to the Chinese and Russians to fix it for us? How honorable

The US tried for 8 years alone under Clinton, we tried 2 years alone under Bush...alone didn't work. We have 6 party talks. We have to use the world and put pressure on them. Sanctions are the only real option so we didn't have much of a choice.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by JaJae

grovel?

How about make this a UN problem and have the world stand firm and fix the problem that is N. Korea? I know the UN sucks, but we need to get them more involved and less PC on these issues.

See, China and Russia both want the NKorean government to stand, so...they'd be foolish to try and make moves for regime change

The Russians have almost nothing to fear from the NKorea situation, if anyone would be hit, it would be Japan/SK or smuggled to the US or Israel...and if NK breaks down the refugees will go to China, not Russia

The Chinese realize that worrisome fact, but a united capitalist Korea and Japan, allied with the US is much more worrisome

Japan couldn't anything if it wanted because China would annihilate them, SK couldn't do anything without NK annihilating them

So it's just us...and what did we do? Nothing

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

The US tried for 8 years alone under Clinton, we tried 2 years alone under Bush...alone didn't work. We have 6 party talks. We have to use the world and put pressure on them. Sanctions are the only real option so we didn't have much of a choice.

We're partly responsible for this with our assinine "diplomacy." Giving North Korea two nuclear reactors, $5 billion and promising to end weapons inspections for half a decade wasn't the brightest idea to come out of the oval office.

[Thorgrim]

It stalled their program for 6 years, which was a much better option than restarting the Korea War

If we had focused on them in 2001-2002 instead of Iraq, there wouldn't be a problem today...and we had a better rationale in 2002 than in 1994 for a military strike in NK "We can't let nukes have a chance of slipping into the hands of Al-Qaeda" the world was still behind us, we could have solved it

Instead, we ignored them...that was the assinine policy

[6SpeedTA95]

Originally Posted by JaJae

We're partly responsible for this with our assinine "diplomacy." Giving North Korea two nuclear reactors, $5 billion and promising to end weapons inspections for half a decade wasn't the brightest idea to come out of the oval office.

Yes I know.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

It stalled their program for 6 years

no it didn't.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by JaJae

no it didn't.

The graphite-moderated nuclear power plants were shut down and stopped from developing nuclear material, and the rods were handed over, significantly halting nuclear research

It was only AFTER the deal fell apart under Bush that the NK had any reasonable nuclear program that had any short-term chances of success

[JaJae]

UNITED NATIONS -(AND)- North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations has totally rejected a unanimous vote by the U.N. Security Council for sanctions against his nation.

Pak considered the sanctions to be "gangster-like" and warned of "war" if they are imposed.
The North Korean Ambassador addressed the Security Council shortly after the Council voted 15-0 in favor of punitive sanctions for North Korea's nuclear test nearly a week ago.

This is the result of the UN kid gloves on North Korea. Hopefully our troops will be tied up in Iraq and if this goes to war we won't play a major role.

[6SpeedTA95]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

The graphite-moderated nuclear power plants were shut down and stopped from developing nuclear material, and the rods were handed over, significantly halting nuclear research

It was only AFTER the deal fell apart under Bush that the NK had any reasonable nuclear program that had any short-term chances of success

Keep dreaming.

[motivez]

More like the result of failed foreign policy with North Korea.

There's very little effect economic sanctions can have on such an impoverished nation, and all that will happen is their already practically starving people will continue to starve more.

The elite ruling class, the military, and of course, Kim Jong Il will continue to live in relative luxury while his people continue to suffer.