Russia Blocks Unacceptable UN Report on North Korea
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
On Thursday, Russia blocked discussion of a Security Council report on sanctioning North Korea before amending it.
Russia’s UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia said “(w)e put on hold the 1718 Sanctions Committee report because we disagree with” some of its contents, adding:
“We and other delegations expressed concern about regular leaks of the Committee information to the press.”
“You can look it up on the Internet. We requested to investigate it through the Committee, but some members are not very willing to do so” – meaning Washington, Britain and France.
Nebenzia declined to discuss what’s in the report because it’s confidential. In deference to Washington, the UN has done nothing to identify source(s) of leaks.
Nebenzia called them “inadmissible – against the principle of the work of the committee.” Earlier in August, the report was leaked to Reuters, AFP and CNN.
It slammed alleged DPRK sanctions violations, dubiously accusing its government of failing to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, along with exporting weapons to Middle East and African countries, among other accusations.
According to RadioFreeEurope/Radio Liberty, disseminating US propaganda, “Russia is blocking publication of a United Nations report finding North Korea in violation of UN sanctions limiting its imports of fuel, including through some illegal transfers of oil at sea involving Russian ships” – citing unnamed Western officials hostile to Pyongyang.
The DPRK threatens no one. Sanctions never should have been imposed in the first place. Russia and China most often went along with US demanded harshness – instead of doing the right thing.
Sanctions don’t work. They’re counterproductive and ineffective. They’re imposed for political and punitive reasons, yet accomplish nothing besides harming ordinary people in targeted nations.
When imposed by one or more nations against others without Security Council approval, they’re flagrantly illegal – how Washington operates against all its adversaries, notably Russia, China, Venezuela, Syria and the DPRK.
Harsh sanctions were imposed on North Korea for reasons unrelated to Asia/Pacific security, part of decade’s long US hostility toward the country, the world community largely going along with what demands rejection.
In return for good faith steps toward denuclearization, North Korea justifiably wants sanctions softened toward lifting them altogether – what Washington unacceptably rejects, wanting its demands met, offering nothing in return but empty promises.
In early August, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed support for maintaining harsh sanctions, siding with Washington like he always does, supporting its imperial agenda instead of responsibly denouncing it.
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