Tough US Proposed Security Council Sanctions on North Korea

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

A US draft proposal will be voted on Saturday afternoon, aiming to deprive Pyongyang of around one-third of its export revenues.

On Friday, the measure was circulated among SC members. It "condemns in the strongest terms" the DPRK's July 4 and 28 ballistic missile tests. 

Reportedly it bans exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore, and seafood. It prohibits all new DPRK joint ventures, bans new investments in current ones, and prohibits sending more workers abroad for jobs.

It tightens restrictions on technology to prevent Pyongyang from acquiring military related items. North Korean vessels caught violating SC resolutions will be banned from entering foreign ports.

Neocon US UN envoy Nikki Haley called for even tougher measures omitted from the US draft, including cutting off Pyongyang's access to foreign capital and blocking oil exports for its military.

According to analyst Jae H. Ku, what's proposed won't "bring North Korea to its knees. This might be the gradual wringing of the neck of North Korea, but we've been down this road many times. North Korea has always been able to find loopholes."

This weekend at the Asian forum in Manila, Rex Tillerson will meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, North Korea a key topic for discussion.

Unconfirmed reports indicate Beijing and Moscow will support Washington's draft proposal. On Thursday, Wang stressed China's opposition to Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"At the same time, we also call on all parties not to take any actions that will lead to an escalation in tensions," he said.

International relations expert James Tang believes China may accept sanctions as a way to avoid US military action, saying:

"This is a delicate time. China probably might come along a bit, but is probably not willing to push too far and threaten the collapse of the North Korean regime."

Diplomacy expert Sun Xingjie explained Beijing's position is complicated by Washington's inconsistent message - Haley saying one thing, Tillerson and Trump expressing other views, saying:

"The US government's attitudes towards denuclearization on the Korean peninsula are many and varied, there is no unified voice on this issue. China cannot cooperate with the US when it doesn't know what the US position is. It's hard to say if Tillerson is even representing 

Trump."

China insists it's up to Washington, not Beijing, to resolve contentious issues with North Korea - by responsible outreach and diplomacy, not tough talk and threats.

If the US draft resolution is approved, it'll impose sanctions on North Korea for the seventh time since its first 2006 nuclear test.

It'll do nothing to deter Pyongyang from pursuing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs - essential deterrents because of threatened US aggression, it believes.

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