U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said North Korea set "a world record" for a rejection — 45 minutes — and warned that Pyongyang's failure to comply could lead to further council action. He did not say what that might be.
The resolution bans all U.N. member states from selling material or technology for missiles or weapons of mass destruction to North Korea, and from receiving missiles, banned weapons or technology from Pyongyang.
It condemns North Korea's multiple missile launches on July 5 and demands that North Korea "suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program" and re-establish a moratorium on missile launches. It strongly urges North Korea to return to six-party talks on its nuclear program, which have been stalled since last September.
We shall see if this has any effect. The North Koreans don't seem to be shaking in their boots.
I draw more hope from this faux pas by their ambassador to the UN:
Pak warned that North Korea will "take stronger physical actions of other forms should any other country ... take issue with the exercises and put pressure."
He immediately left the council chamber at the end of his speech in a move considered a breach of diplomatic protocol.
Kidnapping foreigners; running drugs; counterfitting money; starving your people; and brandishing missiles isn't enough to draw more than a sophisticated yawn from the world community. It took years to get a resolution that North Korea rejected in 45 minutes.
But breach diplomatic protocol? The Pillsbury Nuke Boy is in trouble now. I'm sure an even more strongly worded note is being drafted even as we speak.
