U.N. Issues New Sanctions Against N. Korea

(AP)  A U.N. Security Council panel imposed new sanctions Thursday against North Korean officials and companies aimed at curbing the nation's nuclear defiance.

The panel named five people and five companies subject to travel bans and a freeze on financial assets. It also designated two types of materials used in ballistic missile parts - certain types of graphite and para-aramid fiber - that nations must refrain from supplying to North Korea.

The designations need no further approval and are effective immediately.

U.S. officials expressed satisfaction with the list, which required approval by the 15-nation council's sanctions panel. China, North Korea's biggest ally and trading partner, went along with most of the U.S. recommendations.

"It is of course significant that we have also put individuals on the list, as this is the first time. This shows that the sanctions are going on a higher level at this moment," said Fazli Corman, Turkey's deputy U.N. ambassador, who chairs the panel.

Sanctions were approved against the General Bureau of Atomic Energy in Pyongyang, the chief agency directing the North's nuclear program. That includes the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center and its plutonium production research reactor, as well as its fuel fabrication and reprocessing facilities.

Also named were three Pyongyang-based companies - Namchongang Trading Corp., Korea Hyoksin Trading Corp., and Korean Tangun Trading Corp. - and one Iranian-based company, Hong Kong Electronics.

The five people named were Yun Ho-Jin, director of Namchongang Trading Corp.; Ri Je-Son, director of the General Bureau of Atomic Energy; Hwang Sok-Hwa, chief of the bureau's scientific guidance; Ri Hong-Sop, former director of Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center; and Han Yu-Ro, director of Korea Ryongaksan General Trading Corp.

The panel banned nations from selling North Korea two types of goods used in ballistic missile parts: graphite designed or specified for use in electrical discharge machining; and para-aramid fiber, filament and tape, which is a Kevlar-like material.

British Ambassador John Sawers said the panel's unanimous decision, legally binding on all the U.N.'s 192 member nations, "represents a significant contribution to international action to disrupt and deter" the North's weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.

The U.S. said it has launched a major effort to ensure that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874 is implemented effectively.

That resolution, which authorized the panel's decisions, was approved June 12 in punishment for the North's underground nuclear test blast on May 25.

Security Council Resolution 1874 called for clamping down on alleged trading of banned arms and weapons-related material and stepped-up inspections of suspect shipments by sea and air.

Earlier this month, the council also condemned and expressed "grave concern" over North Korea's recent firing of seven ballistic missiles on U.S. Independence Day, the reclusive country's biggest display of firepower in three years.

The missile launches, which occurred off the nation's east coast, defied three previous council resolutions and aggravated tensions already high after North Korea's May 25 test blast.

Japan asked all Southeast Asian nations, except junta-ruled Myanmar, also known as Burma, to enforce the U.N.'s North Korea resolutions. A North Korean ship, the first to be monitored under the June 12 resolution, turned back before reaching port, possibly in Myanmar, with its suspected illicit cargo of weapons.

On Thursday, Japan's ambassador, Yukio Takasu, called the panel's work "a major achievement."

The sanctions panel took longer than the planned 30 days to designate new targets. It said its focus has been on three areas: sensitive dual-use goods, ballistic missile-related items and nuclear-related items.

North Korea has not indicated how it might react to the sanctions panel's latest decisions.

But on June 13, North Korea's Foreign Ministry threatened to take "countermeasures" including accelerating plutonium reprocessing and starting up uranium enrichment, which would give the regime a second way to make atomic bombs.

North Korea has warned that any attempted blockade of its ships would be considered "an act of war" that would draw "a decisive military response." It also has threatened a "thousand-fold" military retaliation against the U.S. and its allies if provoked.

The council panel also said it would continue working "on an expedited basis" to identify more items, materials, equipment, goods and technology subject to sanctions.

[pepperwood2]

U.N. Issues New Sanctions Against N. Korea...Five People and Five Companies Now Subject to Travel Bans and Financial Freezes.

When is our SOS going to come out of it and get her 15 minutes. I see that Bill, Our Haitian Ambassador, is getting a few gainful headlines until Hillary can get her act together. For the last 6 months She is certainly having a hard time getting her Smart Diplomacy Across to Obama & N.Korea.

[proudmilvet]

We should have wiped them out 56 years ago!!

[proudmilvet]

F**K North Korea!

[edward1975-2009]

If we truly wished to punish the N. Koreans, we would simply deport the entire UN to the little fellow, and let these free-loading "diplomats" see how much they would enjoy operating under such a nice little guy. They are toothless and useless, they have reached their expiration date, time to take them off the shelve.

[Imadinnerjacket]

I feel pity for the citizens of N. Korea.
I'm sure they are no different then I... wishing only to
have a job, feed their families, and go fishing on Saturday
and worship on Sundays. The leader of the country and the million man army get all the good food, fuel, homes, etc... The normal joe or "kim" in this case, needs to make a stand on their own homeland and demand justice for themselves. They need to stand up to Kim done ill the turd, and the army. Protest like there is no tomorrow, because soon there may not be.

[thusspokezara]

Dear Supreme Leader, an opportunity like this will not come again in a thousand years. Americans are reeling, disoriented, exhausted, and at odds. Their President is inexperienced, and timid. You must seize the moment. Place 3 million troops accross the DMZ. When Obama blinks (which he almost certainly will), overrun Seoul. Then negotiate.

[steveisthistrue]

i am beginning to root for north Korea they have elevated the fine art of threatening us with out starting a war how far will they go they are getting good at it or?????????????

[vietnamwar]

That picture look funny .

[mary-miami]

The sanctions are necessary because it sends a message to the crazy North Korean leader that he shouldn't be acting like a bully threatening the U.S. or any other country for that matter.

[Questionews]

Why would this round of sanctions be any different than the host of other sanctions imposed on them in the past. These guys are willing to allow half their population to die to maintain appearance.

[indivthinker]

"The sanctions are necessary because it sends a message to the crazy North Korean leader that he shouldn't be acting like a bully threatening the U.S. or any other country for that matter."
- by mary-miami July 16, 2009 6:38 PM EDT

I am sure that Kim Jong Il is SOOOO scared right now that Obama has told the North Koreans that they are being bullies. I am sure that Kim Jong Il is also scared that the United Nations is putting more of these "resolutions" on him.

The UN is a JOKE. It has no teeth to enforce anything. I mean, it put out a resolution permitting the United States to board North Korean ships, but ONLY if the North Koreans said they could. That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

Only twice in history has the United Nations used large scale military action to enforce its agenda. The first time was the Korean War, when the USSR boycotted the UN, and China was represented by Taiwan. The second time was the Persian Gulf War after Saddam invaded Kuwait.

Kim Jong Il and North Korea could care less about negotiating with the UN. The only thing that he understands is military might. Just like two male dogs fighting for supremacy over the same territory, the UN, or rather just the US and its allies, must exert its dominance over North Korea. The world should NOT tolerate these games and threats from North Korea. Since China and Russia (and possibly Germany and France) won't do anything to REALLY stop him, the US and UK might have to do it.

We MUST stop him before he gains full nuclear weapon capabilities. To wait would cost more lives. Everyone knows that he plans on selling these weapons to the Iranians or the highest bidder. He has sold technology to them in the past. Stop him now, or MILLIONS of people will suffer the consequences in the future.

Unfortunately, we have had no luck finding a President with the gut to stand up to this guy. Bush stood up to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, but they were minuscule threats compared to North Korea. With his decision to go into Iraq instead of North Korea, we have allowed Kim to develop nuclear explosives.

Now we have a President who has NO idea what to do, no teeth to do it because of an overstretched military, and worst of all, Kim Jong Il has "given him the middle finger" several times and test-launched missiles. Kim, and Iran and Venezuela for that matter, are not scared of any enforcement of anything, and they continue to be rogues that defies the will of the world. Kim Jong Il, in a sense, has dominated Obama in the dogfight, despite being the MUCH smaller dog, because Obama is afraid to bite. Continuing to sit back and let things happen will only hurt Obama and the US more than getting the inevitable over with.

[GovernmentControl]

Obama The Weak

Obama The Coward

Obama The Appeaser