UN SANCTIONS AGAINST NORTH KOREA AND THE EMPTY THREATS

The reclusive Pyongyang regime with its threats to use nuclear missiles will remain a conundrum the UN has to solve in this century.

When the UN Security Council imposed more sanctions on the Pariah state following two ballistic intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July, it only drew more provocative war mongering propaganda from its leader Kim Jong-un.

As always the US was the architect of these sanctions including banning $ 1 billion in exports. It has been an escalation of sharp expletives between Trump and Kim Jong-un. This was after the North Korean leader threatened to hit the US pacific territory of Guam. In his usual unchecked style of talking, Trump responded by warning North Korea if it dared to attack, the reprisals would be face fury and fire.

Is the world about to see a nuclear war between the two countries? I don’t think any of the two leaders would wish to go in the canals of history to have triggered such a war in this era.

North Korea fully understands the dire consequences which will certainly follow if its leader does the unthinkable of attacking the US territory. This will constitute an act of aggression, which will give justifiable reason for Washington to retaliate. But it is also aware that such action will draw international condemnation even from its only ally in the region which is China. Kim Jong-un is not about to tread on dangerous grounds or tow that line. On the other side, it is hard for Trump now to suck his government into another war despite his careless statements of military action.

The ongoing exchange of provocations will continue as a bargaining chip for North Korea to have the economic sanctions eased. Pyongyang is not about to stop carrying out its tests of nuclear capabilities and its propaganda of having long range missiles that can reach as far Washington will increase. The economic sanctions are likely to bite the North Korean people but they will not make the communist state relent. It is known that the UN sanctions have not tamed North Korea’s ambitious nuclear developments and they will not change anything about its behavior.

It remains to be seen whether UN can evoke some of its mandate stipulated under Chapter VII to use armed force in containing North Korea if the economic actions prove inadequate.