North Korea U.N. Resolution: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

UPDATE

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution that would appreciably tighten weapons and financial sanctions against North Korea. Some analysts dismiss anything that passes through the United Nations as useless while others say sanctions won't work and only intense diplomacy has a chance.

Yet the U.S.-drafted measure is tougher than most against any one country, and has the approval of China and Russia. Without China, the main ally and trading partner of North Korea, no pressure on Pyongyang is possible, regardless of what the West does. But enforcement is key and diplomats are not certain how much punitive action Beijing will undertake.

"There is no guarantee, obviously, but it is important for the international community to speak with one voice. It is important for there to be consequences, and this sanctions regime...will bite and bite in a meaningful way," Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said earlier.

Zhang Yesui. China's U.N. Ambassador told the 15-member Security Council that the council's action demonstrated the world's "firm opposition" to North Korea's nuclear ambitions. "We strongly urge the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), stop any moves that may further worsen the situation and return to the six-party talks." Those stalled negotiations include the United States, China, Russia, Japan and North and South Korea.

But Zhang cautioned that "under no circumstances should there be use or threat of the use of force." and then told reporters: "We are firmly opposed to the nuclear test."

North Korea is expected to respond, first verbally and possibly by detonating its third underground nuclear test in defiance of the resolution, according to some Russian media reports. It did not exercise its right to speak in the Security Council.

Russia, itself, considers North Korea a threat. "Having sanctions and things like that is not our choice but a certain political message must be sent and some measures must be taken because we are facing a very real situation of proliferation risks." Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, told reporters earlier in the week.

China, too, is none too eager to see his neighbor armed with nuclear weapons. (Beijing delivers fuel and food to North Korea and an estimated 80 percent of its consumer goods are made in China.) At the same time it does not want to see the regime collapse, American troops on its border and a flood of refugees, now forcibly repatriated.

Agreement on the text (see below) was first reached by the five veto-bearing Security Council members of the 15 nation body -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. Japan and South Korea were part of the negotiations. While the text is not as tough as the United States and Japan wanted, it was an American feat to get Beijing and Moscow to sign on in the first place.

The preamble of the resolution makes clear that key international players want North Korea to end weeks of nuclear and ballistic missile tests, resume political talks with six nations It deplores Pyongyang's withdrawal from the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (the main world agreement to regulate atomic arms). And it expresses its "gravest" concern that nuclear and missile activities, particularly the May 25 underground atomic test, were constituted "a clear threat to international peace and security."

The heart of the resolution includes expanded sanctions on all weapons, except for the import of small arms (at the insistence of China which sells them to North Korea) along with a series of financial bans. But some of the provisions use the words "calls upon" which designates a political commitment compared to "decides" or "demands" which requires mandatory compliance by all 192 member states.

The resolution "calls" on states to inspect suspicious sea, air and land cargo that may contain any weapons of mass destruction materials. If North Korea or another flagship nation refuses, the measure then "decides" that countries should deny them fuel and other supplies and direct them to a port and inspect the cargo there. If the country in question still refuses, the Security Council would meet on the issue.

Cargo inspections were authorized by the council after North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006. But the new resolution spells out the stop and search methods in detail.

On financial sanctions, the resolution urges and "calls upon" all states and financial institutions to "not to enter into new commitments for grants, financial assistance, or concessional loans" except for humanitarian purposes. On this issue the United States and its allies can pressure nations and institutions into compliance. And it again bans all trade in materials related to weapons of mass destruction. The document also promises to add to the list of three blacklisted North Korean companies that deal with unconventional weapons.

Enforcement a problem

Enforcement was a problem of resolution 1718, adopted in October 2006 in response to the first underground nuclear test by North Korea. Many of the provisions were dropped after Pyongyang temporarily rejoined the six-party talks. After the Security Council moved towards enforcement, North Korea responded with its second nuclear test.

When the North first took provocative actions by firing a missile, most analysts believed it was trying to get the attention of the Obama administration, with an underground nuclear test timed for the May 25 Memorial Day holiday. The harsh sentencing of two American journalists who were doing research on refugees on the Korean-Chinese border fits into that theory.

But now no one is certain. The escalation came as North Korea's ailing leader Kim Jong Il was making plans to transfer power to his youngest son, Jong Un, and apparently does not want to broadcast any weakness. Instead he appears to be making a dramatic pitch at joining the nuclear weapons club. Some believe the Obama administration should send a high-level delegation -- not to offer incentives -- but to find out what is going on while other administration officials say nothing would be gained and real negotiations are dead.
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Following is the final text of Friday's resolution, no. 1874.. Voting in favor were Austria, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, Japan, Libya, Mexico, Turkey, Uganda, Vietnam and the five permanent members: United States, China, Russia, Britain and France.

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Comments

[Fein]

Colin Powell calls the NK area north of Seoul, the most militarized area on earth. Over 11,000 artillery
less than 20 miles away, likely loaded, and aimed at the heart of one of the most populous cities in Asia.

North Korea maintains the largest SPEC OPS force on earth. Over 120,000 highly trained, extremely well armed, tough as hell commandos, indoctrinated for a one way mission. And the mountainous terrain of North Of Seoul plus the two coasts guarantee their infiltration of the South.

Oh yeah, plus nuclear weapons.

[Conejo]

Sanctions don't work against Kim Jong Sick. He understands only one thing: force. A military plan of some sort needs to be devised against him. The easiest would be to bomb his nuclear installations. Granted he would unleash his massive army against Seoul, which is uncomfortably close to the dividing parallel. Before any bombing Seoul would have to be protected although some deaths would be inevitable. Whatever is done has to be with the full consent and participation of S. Korea. What do they suggest be done?

[gabberwok]

When a dictator is willing to sacrifice every last one of his citizens to make a point, there isn't really a good way to protect against that. North Korea lets millions die from starvation, do you really think he would think twice about sending his entire army into South Korea, even against ridiculous odds?

South Korea will never go along with an attack because no matter what preparations are made, South Korea will end up having large numbers of casualties - especially if North Korea has managed to get any of its bombs working.

[kimno3]

You forgot that there are more than 30 thousands American sodiers in South Korea most of which are positioned around Seoul or DMZ. You think they and their families are safe from NK's barrage of short range missles and aritilary attacks? In 1994, the first nuclear cirisis, the U.S. government considered surgical strike and it backed down. Your government projected that 30 thousands U.S. sodiers, 450 thousand Korean Sodiesrs, and more than one million Korean civilians would die. So they gave up the plan.
In addition, don't even think that all South Koreans will cheer for your country and your soldiers if the U.S starts the war. American soliers better watch their back if that happens.

[Realization]

Sanctions can work. If there are the right conditions and they are tough enough. These won't. The resolution had to stipulate "decides that....shall" instead of all this "calls upon".

The key to all this is China and it is still not really interested in applying pressure. Time has come for Japan and South Korea to consider going nuclear in response to the DPRK threats. I understand that Japan has already been hinting at this.

Our position should be something like "while it is regrettable" "under the circumstances we understand the necessity". China would not like more nuclear neighbors and this would allow us to continue to provide a nuclear umbrella but not be so much in the middle because of the increased deterrent of the locals.

And China would have to decide whether to apply more pressure of live in a nuclear neighborhood.

Frankly, the U.S. should be more concerned with eliminating the trade deficit and rejuvenating manufacturing than with North Korea. China is happy for us to continue to have to deal with this sideshow, albeit an important sideshow.

[MESGAIN26]

wheres the resolution for Israel war crimes double standard

[BigBagel]

Nothing is done about Israel so we must do nothing about every rouge state to be fair. Is that your argument?

[watchTVgetSTUPID]

What is Hillary going to do when N Korea starts downing US government satellites passing overhead in retaliation? Risk Seoul and Tokyo getting vaporized? I doubt it. She is boxing us into a corner as she boxes N Korea into a corner.

They should have stopped threatening N Korea by conducting mock invasions the same time they were offering a fig branch.

[Phreaked]

How the hell are they going to do that, they do not even have a working missile system let alone any high tech method like lasers

[harveyr2]

I'll believe the effectiveness of these sanctions when I see it.

[goodforme]

SIGN THE NON-AGGRESSION PACK WITH NOTH KOREA NOW!

that's all north korea has ever wanted from the US.

the US has all the power and responsibility to make the right choice!

south korea has no authority / power even to officially end the korean war!

[CigarGod]

Have a cigar!