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“A tougher initial U.S. draft was weakened to win the support of China, Pyongyang’s main ally and trading partner, and Russia, both of which hold veto power in the council,” explains Reuters [1]. It appears ineffective to ban North Korea’s “profitable textile exports” [1], when Reuters just reported in August that “clothes made in North Korea are labeled ‘Made in China’ and exported across the world“. [2] This suggests that a boycott of the Chinese textile industry is in order, as do China’s recent joint military ops with Russia.

But Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley (Sept. 11, 2017 pm) tweeted “The UN Security Council unanimously adopted the strongest sanctions ever against North Korea: #15-0” That is not testimony to the strength of the sanctions but to their weakness. Why wasn’t this imposed earlier, for instance? “this resolution prohibits all joint ventures with the regime, resulting in a significant amount of lost revenue. But more importantly, the regime can no longer obtain critically needed foreign investments, technology, and know-how needed for its commercial industries…. this resolution imposes asset freezes on the most central North Korean regime entities, affecting both the military and the government itself…” Shouldn’t this be basic? Read more mostly weak “sanctions” here in the Nikki Haley statement: https://usun.state.gov/remarks/7970

It’s rather ironic that the right appears so enamored with Russia that it takes a Massachusetts Democrat to be the tough guy and call for a total oil blockade. Of course, Russia will probably just send it oil over the shared border, maybe even from the Sakhalin project where US Secretary of State Tillerson’s old corporation, Exxon, is operator and owns almost 1/3rd. India’s ONGC Videsh Ltd owns 20% of Sakhalin 1 [3] (any ties to Nikki Haley whose parents were born in India?)

“As a founder of the national Nuclear Freeze movement, Senator Markey has worked to end the proliferation of nuclear weapons since the beginning of his career. While in the House of Representatives, Markey co-founded the Congressional Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation and has consistently spearheaded Congressional efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Recently, Senator Markey has advocated for over $200 billion in budget cuts to our nation’s wasteful and redundant nuclear defense programs.” https://www.markey.senate.gov/priorities/north-korea-and-nuclear-non-proliferation

“In Wake of New North Korea Nuclear Test, Senator Markey Calls for Crushing Sanctions on North Korea, Including Cutting Off Import of Oil to Pyongyang Sunday, September 3, 2017
Calls on Trump administration to launch urgent shuttle diplomacy to resolve crisis

Washington (September 3, 2017) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on the Trump administration to launch high-level shuttle diplomacy to bring the United States, China, Russia, and other major world powers together in a unified strategy under the auspices of the United Nations to deescalate tensions and start discussions to freeze any further North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile testing.

As part of such a strategy, Senator Markey is urging the international community to offer the North Korean government tangible assurances that it will not face outside attack, but that without a testing freeze, North Korea will face crushing new international sanctions, including cutting off the import of all oil products to North Korea; requiring the dissolution of all existing business partnerships between North Korea the rest of the world; prohibiting all export of slave labor from North Korea to other countries and cut off the revenues they generate for the Kim Regime, prohibiting the import of all luxury goods into North Korea; and prohibiting the export of all textiles from North Korea to other countries.
 
“We must exhaust every available diplomatic option to deescalate tensions and negotiate an end to the North Korea nuclear threat before it erupts into a catastrophic war,” said Senator Markey.

“Now is the time for Secretary Tillerson to begin an urgent campaign of shuttle diplomacy to bring China, Russia, and the entire community of nations together in a unified diplomatic strategy under the auspices of the United Nations.
 


“The international community must apply the kind of crushing economic pressure required to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table, including starving the country of oil and other economic supports that allow it to continue its missile programs. But we must also be willing to take measures to assure North Korea that our military forces are in the region only to deter and defend against aggression, not to attack or depose the North Korean regime. As soon as North Korea agrees to a freeze of its missile and nuclear testing, we and our South Korean allies should continue direct negotiations with Pyongyang.”
  
Senator Markey led a Congressional delegation to Seoul, Tokyo, and the North Korea-China border in August, where it was the first foreign group to receive a briefing from Chinese customs officials who enforce sanctions at the border.” https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/in-wake-of-new-north-korea-nuclear-test-senator-markey-calls-for-crushing-sanctions-on-north-korea-including-cutting-off-import-of-oil-to-pyongyang https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/as-tensions-mount-from-threat-of-north-korea-senator-markey-to-lead-congressional-delegation-to-korea-japan-and-china

“Back from North Korea-China Border, Markey Challenges Ambassador Haley/UN to Cut Off Oil to North Korea; Impose Other Tough New Sanctions Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Markey’s plan for sanctions on revenue generating and regime strengthening goods/services was formed during visit to border crossing between China and North Korea
 
Washington (August 29, 2017) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for Ambassador Nikki Haley to push the United Nations Security Council to implement a total embargo on oil to the North Korean regime as well as other tough, new sanctions. Markey’s proposed sanctions come less than a week after his visit to the North Korea-China border where he led a congressional delegation that was the first foreign group to receive a briefing from Chinese customs officials at its border with North Korea.
 
The statement below comes in advance of the United Nations Security Council’s Emergency Meeting in response to North Korea’s most recent tests of short and intermediate range ballistic missiles. Reports also indicate that North Korea is preparing to perform a sixth test of a nuclear explosive device.  Senator Markey called on the UN to sharply intensify economic pressure on North Korea to bring them back to the negotiating table.
 
“We must exhaust every available peaceful option before President Trump puts “all options on the table” and considers launching a preventive war,” said Senator Markey.  “Now is the time for the United Nations Security Council to pass, and the United States, China, Russia, and the entire community of nations to enforce, tough new sanctions to:
 
1.     Cut off the import of all oil products to North Korea;
 
2.     Require the dissolution of all existing business partnerships between North Korea the rest of the world;
 
3.     Prohibit all export of slave labor from North Korea to other countries and cut off the revenues they     generate for  the Kim Regime;
 
4.     Prohibit the import of all luxury goods into North Korea; and
 
5.     Prohibit the export of all textiles from North Korea to other countries.
 
“This week’s new missile tests and apparent preparation for a sixth nuclear test highlights the need for the international community to apply the economic pressure required to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table.  At the same time President Trump must stop spoiling for a fight and negotiate an immediate freeze on North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile testing,” said Senator Markey. “In exchange, we must be willing to take measures to assure North Korea that our military forces are in the region only to deter and defend against aggression, not to attack or depose the North Korean regime. As soon as North Korea agrees to such a freeze, we and our South Korean allies should continue direct negotiations with Pyongyang on two closely coordinated tracks, one with the United States leading direct negotiations toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and the second with the South Korea leading direct negotiations toward social, cultural, and intergovernmental relations. Having now visited this region and met with allied leaders, I will do everything in my power to ensure that our government exhausts all peaceful measures to resolve the North Korean nuclear threat and avoids a second Korean War.” https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/back-from-north-korea-china-border-markey-challenges-ambassador-haley/un-to-cut-off-oil-to-north-korea-impose-other-tough-new-sanctions_

[1] “U.N. Security Council steps up sanctions on defiant North Korea
Posted:Tue, 12 Sep 2017 07:53:07 -0400
UNITED NATIONS/SEOUL (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council unanimously voted to step up sanctions on North Korea, with its profitable textile exports now banned and fuel supplies capped, prompting a traditionally defiant threat of retaliation against the United States“. http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/Reuters/worldNews/~3/dgHVKoPzEow/u-n-security-council-steps-up-sanctions-on-defiant-north-korea-idUSKCN1BL12S

[2] “North Korea factories humming with ‘Made in China’ clothes, traders say” Posted:Sun, 13 Aug 2017 05:48:33 -0400
DANDONG, China (Reuters) – Chinese textile firms are increasingly using North Korean factories to take advantage of cheaper labor across the border, traders and businesses in the border city of Dandong told Reuters. http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/businessNews/~3/krN0I7HDhkM/us-northkorea-labour-china-insight-idUSKBN1AT00Q

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakhalin-I