SC to Vote Friday on New North Korea Sanctions

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

A US draft resolution seen by the New York Times seeks additional tough sanctions on North Korea.

It's unclear if China and Russia will support it, demand revisions, or reject it entirely. Both countries called sanctions on the DPRK counterproductive numerous times.

They encourage Pyongyang to continue developing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. They do nothing to deter their development.

Provisions of America's draft resolution include the following:

banning around 90% of refined petroleum exports to the DPRK, capping them at 500,000 barrels annually;

capping crude oil exports at four million barrels annually;

demanding repatriation of North Koreans working abroad within 12 months; Russia earlier rejected this idea;

banning exports of food products, machinery, electrical and industrial equipment, earth and stone including magnesite and magnesia, wood, transportation vehicles and vessels; as well as

tough restrictions on shipping.

It seeks to impose sanctions on 19 additional DPRK officials.

I'll let other countries seize, inspect and freeze North Korean ships in ports or at sea to check if they're carrying banned cargo, or if involved in prohibited activities.

If approved, it'll be the 10th Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea since 2006.

Russia and China prioritize avoiding war on the Korean peninsula, stressing the importance of diplomacy over confrontation.

America's agenda is polar opposite, stoking tensions, threatening belligerence against the DPRK, rejecting diplomatic conflict resolution.

If tougher sanctions are imposed, perhaps with more to come, things will move dangerously closer to possible nuclear war.

If Washington attacks North Korea, China said it would intervene to help the country, risking direct confrontation with Washington.

On Friday, South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said "we are willing to have talks with the North over issues of concerns to it in an open-minded manner and without conditions," adding: 

"In that sense, we will make efforts to restore strained inter-Korean relations and make better ties to help resolve North Korea's nuclear problem."

Earlier, Seoul's official position was for dialogue with the DPRK, conditional on suspension of its nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

Separately, Pyongyang denied Trump's spurious National Security Strategy claim about its "pursui(t) (of) chemical and biological weapons which could also be delivered by missile."

A statement reported by the Korean Central News Agency said "the DPRK, as a state party to the Biological Weapons Convention, maintains its consistent stand to oppose development, manufacture, stockpiling and possession of biological weapons," adding:

"The more the US clings to the anti-DPRK stifling move, the more hardened the determination of our entire military personnel and people to take revenge will be."

Sino/Russian/Seoul unity is essential as a counterforce against Washington's rage for war.

If launched, the entire Korean peninsula could be devastated, Japan, China and Russia possibly affected adversely as well.

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