My Way News - UN sanctions on NKorea may be futile
AP reports: "The United Nations' new sanctions against North Korea to punish it for its latest atomic test are mostly a symbolic, feel-good gesture by the international community - the moves are unlikely to stop the Stalinist regime from trading weapons with rogue nations or hobble its already crumbling economy. The sanctions - approved late Friday by the U.N. Security Council - toughened an arms embargo and authorized ship searches on the high seas in an attempt to thwart its nuclear and ballistic missile programs."

Comment: Well, all well and good, but the real test, and the tripwire for potential war, will be when a North Korean ship suspected of carrying banned weapons is confronted by the U.S. Navy or allied ships. Apparently, the North Koreans have to give permission for a search, but what if they don't permit it? Obviously the mandate to inspect ships and prevent trade in illegal weapons means nothing if ships can't be searched by force and weapons seized. The allies could take a less confrontational approach of denying port calls and refueling to North Korean ships suspected of having banned materials but that effort would be difficult to sustain at every port from North Korea to the Middle East, where we can expect that most of the banned weapons will be sold.