N. Korea ‘intimidating’ world
Pushing for sanctions against Pyongyang, U.S. envoy says international community needs to pick a side
United States ambassador Nikki Haley accused North Korea on Tuesday of intimidating the entire international community with its nuclear program, military ability and cyberattacks, and said any country that doesn’t implement UN sanctions is supporting Pyongyang’s actions.
“No one is immune to the threat of North Korea,” she told reporters before emergency closed-door consultations by the UN Security Council on the North’s weekend ballistic missile launch, which experts said demonstrated a significant technological jump with the rocket flying higher and for a longer period of time.
Haley said the U.S. and China have been working on “a unified plan” on how to approach North Korea that would include tougher new sanctions.
She indicated Washington and Beijing had agreed they would take action if a new test looked to be long range and leaning toward an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the United States.
The latest launch appeared to fulfil both criteria, Haley said, “so I believe that China will stay true to that and that we’ll come together on how we’re going to do that.”
“We’re not going to continue to just say go ahead and test as often as you want,” Haley said, flanked by the South Korean and Japanese ambassadors. “This is a true threat to every country in the world . ... We’re going to make sure we put the pressure on them economically, diplomatically, politically and internationally.”
The Security Council, which has imposed six rounds of sanctions on the North, was expected to discuss further action at Tuesday’s meeting. Haley previously indicated that new sanctions could target oil, a critical import for North Korea mainly from China, and she said Tuesday the U.S. also wants sanctions on organizations and businesses in third countries that are helping Pyongyang.
Haley was asked about comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Monday who called North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests “unacceptable” but also said the United States should stop intimidating Pyongyang.
“We need to return to dialogue with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, stop intimidating it and find ways to solve these problems peacefully. Is it possible or not? I think it is possible,” Putin was quoted as saying, using North Korea’s official name.
Haley answered Putin and others who have made similar comments: “What about North Korea intimidating us? They’re intimidating the entire international community. They’re trying to strengthen their muscle with no cause. There is no reason for North Korea to be having these actions outside of the fact they just choose to do so.”