US Navy ships could soon be tracking and boarding North Korean vessels whether they like it or not. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Huey D. Younger Jr.
New York Times: U.S. Seeks U.N. Consent to Interdict North Korean Ships
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Wednesday circulated a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council that would effectively empower the United States Navy and Air Force to interdict North Korean ships at sea, inspect them to determine whether they are carrying weapons material or fuel into the country, and use “all necessary measures” to enforce compliance.
The language is included in a remarkably broad draft that would ban the shipment of all crude oil, refined petroleum and natural gas to North Korea, essentially seeking to plunge a country of 25 million people into a deep freeze this winter if its leaders fail to begin giving up their nuclear weapon and missile programs.
The resolution — circulated three days after the North conducted its largest nuclear test to date — would also seek to block all the assets of Kim Jong-un, the country’s leader, and virtually all the assets of the country’s military and its sole political party.
Read more ....
Update: The US military wants permission to start hunting down North Korean ships using 'all necessary measures' (Business Insider).
WNU Editor: The Chinese and Russians are not going to agree to this resolution .... nor even a watered down version where the U.N. will decide on what ships will be inspected.
10 comments:
Isn't interception of ships an act of war?
An embargo definitely. Interceptions can also be interpreted as an act fo war.
1. def an act of war
2. why approval from UN? Russia, China will of course veto so this is a farce
Fred. I take this U.S. position as a negotiation ploy.
If it is, it is silly. It is but another threat to a country that is idifferenct, and it may involve even as a threat other nations delivering goodies to N.K.
ps: I wait now till work is over so Mr Snark can badmouth me...hope he has a few martinis first to put him in nicer mood
Fred. Of course it is silly. But this is now the norm when it comes to politics/international issues/etc.. And it may not work for you or me .... but damn .... it does work on the "low information" viewer of the news who gets his info in a 30 second clip..
In 1992 or there about during the presidency of George H.W. Bush, we were treated to the spectacle of hunt for a North Korean ship delivering missiles to Iran. It succeeded.
Cooperation is just not about trading technical data using the good offices of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan.
Engineers, machinists and scientists can use copies to reverse engineer. The North Koreans provided that. One copy may not be enough.
Take the example of the TU-4. It is a reverse engineered B-29. The Russians had at least 3 copies. One to take apart and measure, one for test flights, etc.
If what Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan was bad, then shipping missiles to Iran is bad or shipping upgrades to North Korea is bad.
Ships are seized on a not infrequent basis.
US seizes North Korean ship taking missiles to Yemen
www.theguardian.com/world/2002/dec/11/usa.northkorea
There is no case to be made that North Korea would ever be invaded by the U.S. before 2001. Yet there have always been threats from North Korea, because it is what communists/fascists do. For example my spouse and their classmates were alternately told to be on watch for Soviet or American pilots shot down after encroaching on Chinese airspace. That is what they do in 'communists boy/girl scouts". They will tell outright lies and get people whipped up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-4
According to some people having an embargo just of your nations goods to another country is an act of war. that could be extended to sanctions.
So if any response is an act of war, then let us just have the war.
You go or send kin
I've already gone to war twice.
I have to agree with you on this one, there is zero point to all of these sanctions if they can be bypassed literally under your nose.
The argument of you go to war or send your own family is irrelevant, if lines are not enforced then save trillions a year and disbandon the militaries offensive capability all together.
Ships have been boarded and searched without consequence many times, Israel comes to mind and as you say if a nation wishes to use that as a pretext to war then peaceful intent was an illusion so cut the bullshit and war it is.
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