The U.S. has been pushing Russia to agree to additional sanctions against Iran for its defiance of the United Nations Security Council’s demands for full disclosure of its nuclear program and suspension of uranium enrichment. Russia finally agreed. The new sanctions include inspecting Iranian ships suspected of carrying nuclear technology or weapons, but we doubt this will be enough.
“The Obama administration is doing its best to put a good face on a major disappointment: After sixteen months’ effort, they have succeeded in delivering less international support than did the Bush administration for a problem everyone agrees is growing rapidly worse.”
One restriction included in the sanctions is countries are prohibited from selling missiles or missile systems to Iran. To get Russia to agree to the sanctions, however, the council exempted Russia from the restrictions. The former Soviet Union can proceed with its agreement to deliver S-300 missiles to Iran, and Iran’s Bushehr reactor will come on line with Russia’s help.
“All this in addition to canceling NATO missile defense deployments and going silent on the strangulation of freedoms within Russia.”
NPR called the sanctions “enfeebled,” and said the U.S. has basically sold out to “reset” relations with Russia. In addition to a ban on missile defense activities, Iran must submit to cargo inspections, and other countries must seize and dispose of banned items, refrain from providing “critical support services” to ships suspected of carrying banned items, and block proliferation finance.
Could this be true? President Barack Obama actually admitted, on tape, that a defiant and nuclear-ambitious North Korea is a grave threat to the world? (Source)
Speaking yesterday at a press conference in the Rose Garden, Obama said the U.S. and its allies will play sanctions hardball with North Korea.” We are more than willing to engage in negotiations to get North Korea on a path of peaceful coexistence with its neighbors, and we want to encourage their prosperity. But belligerent, provocative behavior that threatens neighbors will be met with significant and serious enforcement of sanctions that are in place.”
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak listened at his own podium. His expressed confidence that North Korea could be contained, especially if the U.S. is determined to do so.” They will think twice about taking any measures that they will regret.”
North Korea conducted a nuclear test and launched at least five short-range missiles last month. Despite condemnation, the rogue state threatened more tests and launches. The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea called South Korea “puppets” for taking North Korea’s actions seriously and sending warships to the maritime border along with ours.
The U.N. Security Council’s recommended sanctions against North Korea include an arms embargo and ship searches. North Korea has threatened war if its ships are stopped and searched.
Last month, North Korea conducted a nuclear test and fired at least five short-range missiles. As the U.N. Security Council prepares a resolution to impose sanctions, sources are reporting that the rogue nation may be gearing up for another nuclear test. (Source)
White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer, who didn’t comment directly about a third nuclear test, said in a statement, “We have come to expect North Korea to act recklessly and dangerously. But while the world unites to pass a strong new Security Council resolution, it is clear that North Korea’s behavior is succeeding only in further isolating itself.”
President Barack Obama may freeze North Korea’s accounts in foreign banks as sanctions, but he’ll likely try to talk to North Korea first. No doubt he prefers six party talks, but admitted that such talks haven’t been effective in the past. North Korea is set to conduct a third nuclear test and has threatened to launch long-range missiles. At this point, having a discussion about its defiance seems futile. In fact, Stephen Bosworth, special envoy to the president, said North Korea has “spurned” attempts to talk.
Last month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the U.S. has 30 ground-based missile interceptors in place to counteract missiles from North Korea. He also said the Obama administration planned to shift funds away from weapons and research for future conflicts and focus on weapons needed for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps the president will reassess this decision in the wake of North Korea’s rumored nuclear test.
Weeks after North Korea launched a rocket against the wishes and warnings of leaders around the world, the country has threatened to launch a second rocket if a condition is not met.
PressTV reports that a Foreign Ministry spokesman released a statement, which reads: “Unless the UN Security Council offers an apology immediately, we will be forced to take additional self-defense measures to protect the highest interests of our republic.”
North Korea’s threat came after the U.N. Security Council’s rather weak response to the first launch. North Korea still claims the launch was “peaceful,” although the U.S. and other countries believe the country is testing its long-range missile capability.
The rogue nation’s launch and threat of another are wake-up calls that should more than convince the world that North Korea is ready, willing, and able to defy other nations and continue developing long-range missiles and nuclear weapons. How much clearer does it have to be? What will our president have to say about North Korea’s second-launch threat?
In other news about North Korea, the National Policy Institute posted a blog entry written by the Heritage Foundation’s James Carafano. He discusses a New York Times article we linked to earlier this week. Carafano writes:
“In the New York Times week in review published on April 25, 2009, William Broad long-time science writer for the paper discusses the debate over the effectiveness of the North Korean missile launch on April 5. The article purports to represent the state of debate on North Korea missile developments. The analysis ignores basic facts known about the test. … “In addition, the editorial tone of the article is biased against missile defense favoring the view of those who disparage advances in the North Korean program. ‘The advocates want to scare people, so they hype the threat,’ states Philip Coyle who is identified as a ‘former director of weapons testing at the Pentagon and a senior advisor to the Center of Defense Information. Broad did not note Coyle is also a prominent critic of missile defense programs. Broad also extended Coyle’s remarks writing, ‘Such portrayals take bravado since the failed launching was North Korea’s third unsuccessful bid to loft a satellite in a decade, the splashdown made all the more humiliating by Pyongyang’s weeks of drumrolls and world defiance.’”
Last month, North Korea conducted a nuclear test and fired at least five short-range missiles. As the U.N. Security Council prepares a resolution to impose sanctions, sources are reporting that the rogue nation may be gearing up for another nuclear test. (
Weeks after North Korea launched a rocket against the wishes and warnings of leaders around the world, the country has threatened to launch a second rocket if a condition is not met.