Washington Uses Sanctions Like Weapons of War
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
All unilateral US sanctions imposed on other nations are flagrantly illegal.
The Vienna-based International Progress Organization calls itself “an international non-governmental organization that enjoys consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information…not aligned with any government.”
In 1996, it criticized sanctions as “an illegitimate form of collective punishment of the weakest and poorest members of society, the infants, the children, the chronically ill, and the elderly.”
They’re a hammer used in lieu of responsible diplomacy – weapons of war the way Washington uses them against sovereign independent countries, organizations and individuals it opposes.
On Tuesday, the Treasury Department of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed new illegal sanctions on China and North Korea.
Chinese businesses and officials doing legitimate business with Pyongyang were targeted, along with North Korean shipping companies, organizations, and trading firms.
In announcing them, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said “(a)s North Korea continues to threaten international peace and security, we are steadfast in our determination to maximize economic pressure to isolate it from outside sources of trade and revenue while exposing its evasive tactics.”
Fact: North Korea threatens no one. In its entire post-WW II history, it never attacked another country – what America, NATO, Israel and their rogue allies do repeatedly, always unaccountable for their high crimes of war and against humanity.
China responded sharply to Washington latest hostile act, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang saying:
“We consistently oppose any country adopting unilateral sanctions based on its own domestic laws and regulations and the wrong method of exercising long-arm jurisdiction.”
Possible US/China trade war looms, including over Beijing regulations requiring American companies operating in the country to share technology and intellectual property rights to local business partners.
Washington launched an investigation into Chinese trade practices with America.
According to Sino/US analyst Lu Xiang, if it leads to stiffer sanctions on Chinese companies, it would do serious damage to bilateral relations.
China’s Global Times (GT) blasted the Trump administration for re-designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, an outrageous perversion of truth – a thinly veiled excuse for imposing tougher sanctions, likely more to come.
“Washington has viewed Pyongyang with a sense of superiority and has taken sanctioning and threatening Pyongyang for granted,” said GT, adding:
“A new round of confrontation between the US and North Korea seems likely” – risking nuclear war.
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