After U.S. Compromise, Security Council Strengthens North Korea Sanctions
Source: New York Times
By SOMINI SENGUPTASEPT. 11, 2017
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations Security Council on Monday ratcheted up sanctions yet again against North Korea, but they fell significantly short of the far-reaching penalties that the Trump administration had demanded just days ago.
Moreover, it remained wholly unclear whether the additional penalties would persuade North Korea to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile tests — the latest just a week ago, when it detonated its sixth and most powerful nuclear device. North Korea claimed that detonation was from a hydrogen bomb.
Although the resolution won unanimous backing from all 15 council members, the weakened penalties reflected the power of Russia and China, which had objected to the original language and could have used their votes to veto the measure.
The American ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, reacted to the bomb test last week by calling for the fullest range of international sanctions, including a cutoff of all oil supplies, in a new Security Council resolution.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/11/world/asia/us-security-council-north-korea.html
U.N. agrees to toughest-ever sanctions against North Korea
By Carol Morello September 11 at 6:13 PM
The United Nations Security Council on Monday agreed on its toughest-ever sanctions against North Korea that passed unanimously after the United States softened its initial demands to win support from China and Russia.
The sanctions set limits on North Korea’s oil imports and banned its textile exports in an effort to deprive the reclusive nation of the income it needs to maintain its nuclear and ballistic missile program, and increase the pressure to negotiate a way out of punishing sanctions.
“The stronger the sanctions we impose on North Korea, the stronger our hand in promoting a political solution,” said French U.N. Ambassador François Delattre ahead of the deliberations.
The new set of sanctions come on top of previous sanctions that cut into North Korea’s exports of coal, iron ore and seafood. A U.S. official familiar with the negotiations over the resolution said more than 90 percent of North Korea’s reported exports are now covered by sanctions.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-the-push-for-oil-embargo-on-north-korea-china-is-reluctant-to-sign-off/2017/09/11/3a5b56fe-96e5-11e7-a527-3573bd073e02_story.html
