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US pushes oil embargo on N. Korea, takes aim at Kim Jong-Un
By Carole LANDRY, with Dave Clark in Washington
United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 6, 2017


EU preparing to increase sanctions on N. Korea: Mogherini
Tallinn (AFP) Sept 7 - The EU is preparing to increase its own sanctions against North Korea, the bloc's diplomatic chief said Thursday, as part of international efforts to punish the rogue state for its latest nuclear test.

"I will put forward to ministers to work in the coming days to increase EU autonomous sanctions," Federica Mogherini said as she arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Tallinn.

NATO urges tougher implementation of N.Korea sanctions
Brussels (AFP) Sept 6 - NATO on Wednesday demanded tougher implementation of sanctions against North Korea in the wake of the country's sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, and called for new efforts to draw the reclusive state away from its "threatening and destabilising path".

The test on Sunday of what Pyongyang described as a hydrogen bomb demonstrated North Korea's "accelerating and unprecedented campaign" of unlawful missile launches and nuclear tests, the alliance said in a strongly worded statement.

International unity in the face of the North's nuclear push appeared to crumble this week as Russia rebuffed US calls for new UN sanctions, joining Pyongyang's key ally China in resisting pressure for more action.

NATO said the threat posed by the North demanded a "unified response" from the international community.

"It is now imperative that all nations implement more thoroughly and transparently existing UN sanctions and make further efforts to apply decisive pressure to convince the DPRK regime to abandon its current threatening and destabilising path," the alliance said.

Japanese experts said Wednesday that Sunday's blast had a yield of about 160 kilotons -- more than 10 times the size of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima at the end of World War II.

Washington's ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, is expected to unveil yet another new UN sanctions package targeting Kim Jong-Un's regime this week.

She had demanded a vote as early as Monday -- as Washington is in parallel considering hitting Russian and Chinese businesses that have dealings with the North with secondary sanctions.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Wednesday that he would be travelling next month to Japan and South Korea -- alliance partners in the region -- to discuss the North Korea crisis.

Trump says military action against N. Korea not 'first choice'
Washington (AFP) Sept 6 - President Donald Trump said military action against North Korea was not the "first choice" of his administration Wednesday, edging away from his most bellicose threats against the Pyongyang regime.

After a phone call with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about how to deal with Kim Jong-Un's threatening nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Trump did not rule out military strikes if necessary.

But, he indicated, other avenues for pressure would come before military action.

"Certainly that's not our first choice, but we will see what happens," Trump said as he boarded Marine One at the White House.

Trump has previously warned of "fire and fury" if North Korea continued tests and warned its few international partners that trade with the United States could come to an end.

So far those threats have gone unheeded in Pyongyang which recently detonated an apparent thermonuclear bomb.

That and a litany of other tests appear aimed at marrying missile and nuclear technology in a way that could put the United States within striking distance.

Trump has accused China in particular of not doing enough to tighten economic pressure on its smaller neighbor. But on Wednesday Trump sounded more conciliatory.

"I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 percent. He doesn't want to see what's happening there, either. We had a very, very frank and very strong phone call."

The United States on Wednesday asked the United Nations to slap an oil embargo on North Korea and freeze the assets of leader Kim Jong-Un, setting up a potential clash with Russia and China over how to respond to Pyongyang's sixth and biggest nuclear test.

A draft Security Council resolution obtained by AFP demands not only a ban on oil and gas supplies to North Korea, but also an end to textile exports and to payments made to North Korean guest workers, cutting off revenue to Kim's regime.

China has long been reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its border, and Russia has resisted tough economic sanctions that could worsen the humanitarian crisis.

In a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday insisted that military action against North Korea was not his "first choice" and pushed for a diplomatic option.

After Kim's pariah regime claimed it carried out a hydrogen bomb test over the weekend, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the United States would be seeking a vote at the council on new sanctions on September 11.

The proposed package of measures would be the strongest yet against North Korea, which is barred under UN resolutions from developing nuclear or missile technology.

The draft resolution takes aim directly at North Korea's leadership, proposing a freeze on Kim's assets as well as those of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea and the government.

Kim would be added to a UN sanctions blacklist, subjecting him to a global travel ban, along with four other North Korean officials.

The state-owned airline, Air Koryo, would also be hit by an assets freeze along with the Korean People's Army and eight other groups linked to the government, the military and the ruling party.

Countries would be authorized to "use all necessary means" to seize and inspect North Korean cargo vessels on the UN sanctions list, according to the 13-page draft resolution. Nine North Korean ships would be added the blacklist.

The measure would also scrap all joint ventures with North Korea.

- Russia balks at oil embargo -

In Vladivostok, South Korean President Moon Jae-In tried with little apparent success to convince Russian Vladimir Putin to cut off Pyongyang's key supplies of fuel oil.

"In order to compel North Korea to come to the dialogue table, UN sanctions must be strengthened," Moon told Putin, a South Korean spokesman told the Yonhap news agency.

"Now it is inevitable to cut off oil supplies to the North, we hope Russia will cooperate as well," he continued.

The South Korean presidential spokesman quoted Putin as saying that Russia was concerned a block of fuel oil supplies would hurt civilians -- including hospitals.

Putin reportedly argued that Russia exports a negligible amount of oil to North Korea -- about 40,000 tonnes a year.

Experts say a ban on oil supplies would be devastating for ordinary North Koreans.

"People will be forced to walk or not move at all, and to push buses instead of riding in them," said a report by the Nautilus Institute think tank. "There will be less light in households due to less kerosene."

The ban will lead to more deforestation, the report said, as North Koreans will be forced to cut down trees to produce charcoal, leading to "more erosion, floods and more famine" in the already impoverished country.

Kim's regime would immediately restrict supplies to private citizens, it added, and a ban would have "little or no immediate impact" on the North's army or its missile and nuclear programs.

- Frank call -

The diplomatic push could not disguise mounting tension, underscored by China conducting air force drills to defend its east coast "against nuclear and biological weapons."

Trump spoke with Xi of China, the country seen as having the most influence on its unruly neighbor and key to getting any sanctions regime to stick.

"I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 percent. He doesn't want to see what's happening there, either. We had a very, very frank and very strong phone call," Trump said.

According to the White House, Trump and Xi "committed to strengthen coordination and take further action with the goal of achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Trump says military action against N. Korea not 'first choice'
Washington (AFP) Sept 6, 2017 - President Donald Trump said military action against North Korea was not the "first choice" of his administration Wednesday, edging away from his most bellicose threats against the Pyongyang regime.

After a phone call with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about how to deal with Kim Jong-Un's threatening nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Trump did not rule out military strikes if necessary.

But, he indicated, other avenues for pressure would come before military action.

"Certainly that's not our first choice, but we will see what happens," Trump said as he boarded Marine One at the White House.

Trump has previously warned of "fire and fury" if North Korea continued tests and warned its few international partners that trade with the United States could come to an end.

So far those threats have gone unheeded in Pyongyang which recently detonated an apparent thermonuclear bomb.

That and a litany of other tests appear aimed at marrying missile and nuclear technology in a way that could put the United States within striking distance.

Trump has accused China in particular of not doing enough to tighten economic pressure on its smaller neighbor. But on Wednesday Trump sounded more conciliatory.

"I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 percent. He doesn't want to see what's happening there, either. We had a very, very frank and very strong phone call."

After years of incrementally tougher sanctions against North Korea, the United Nations is currently weighing additional steps.

Those could include an squeezing oil supplies or restricting North Korea's ability to collect remittances from workers abroad.

NUKEWARS
Haley: Nuke deal allows Iran to become new North Korea
Washington (AFP) Sept 5, 2017
Washington's ambassador to the United Nations warned Tuesday that, if left unchanged, the Iran nuclear deal could allow Tehran to pose the same kind of missile threat to US cities as North Korea. President Donald Trump is due to decide in the middle of next month whether he believes Iran is living up to its commitments or whether to seek new US sanctions that could torpedo the accord. Hi ... read more

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com


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