|
|
|||
|
|||
|
|
U.S. Submits Sanctions Proposal to Security Council Stewart Stogel UNITED NATIONS -- On Thursday morning, the United States, in agreement with the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, formally submitted a list of economic and political sanctions to be imposed on North Korea.
The move by Washington, in conjunction with Japan (a non-permanent Council member) is designed to punish Pyongyang for its "declared" test of a nuclear weapon last Monday.
There is still no formal confirmation that North Korea's test actually involved nuclear weapons.
North Korea's U.N. ambassador, Pak Gil Yon, told reporters that the U.N. "should congratulate, rather than punish" his government for the action.
Story Continues Below
According to Pak, the nuclear test was designed to "improve" peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.
However, Pak warned that if the Security Council moved to formally impose sanctions, Pyongyang would consider the action tantamount to "an act of war." The veteran diplomat would not elaborate on what such a declaration of war meant.
KCNA, the North Korean news agency, did warn that the next move could be the test of a missile designed to carry a nuclear warhead.
The U.S. proposal still needs to be considered by the Council's 10 non-permanent members who have the right to propose additional "amendments."
While not definite, diplomats tell NewsMax that Washington would like to see its draft proposal formally adopted as early as Friday.
The move in the Council comes as North Korea's U.N. mission faces an FBI investigation for possible money laundering operations.
Editor's note:
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Print Page 
Forward Page 
|
| All Rights Reserved © 2008 NewsMax.Com |