While North Korea threatens war on its neighbors, the Obama administration offers a weak response. Way to go, Bam!
Western powers joined with North Korea's key allies at the United Nations yesterday on a proposal that would impose tough new sanctions against President Kim Jong-Il's communist nation for its most recent nuclear test.
The sanctions would allow foreign countries to stop and search ships heading to and from North Korea, pending approval from the country whose flag the vessel was flying. However, the resolution does not authorize the use of force should the stopped ships refuse to allow searches, but the sanctions should allow for more ships to be checked.
US Ambassador Susan Rice presented the draft resolution to the 15-mem- ber Security Council, saying it would create "an unprecedented, detailed" regime in which nations "are expected to inspect suspected contraband cargo."
The agreement comes after two weeks of closed-door negotiations by ambassadors from the five permanent Security Council nations -- the United States, Britain and France, China and Russia -- and the two nations most closely affected by the recent nuclear test, Japan and South Korea.
AP 6/11/09
