U.S. sanctions North Korea for killing of leader's half-brother with VX chemical

 

FILE PHOTO: Kim Jong Nam arrives at Beijing airport in Beijing, China, in this photo taken by Kyodo February 11, 2007. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has determined Pyongyang used the chemical warfare agent VX to assassinate the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Malaysia in 2017 and has imposed sanctions in response, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.

 

The prohibitions appeared largely symbolic, such as sales to North Korea under the Arms Export Control Act and barring the export of national security-sensitive goods and technology to North Korea, which has no relations with the United States.

 

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement the U.S. government made the formal determination about the use of VX on Feb. 22 under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991.

 

The additional sanctions on Pyongyang went into effect on March 5 after the finding was formally published in the Federal Register, the official journal of the U.S. government, Nauert said.

 

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson determined North Korea had "used chemical weapons in violation of international law or lethal chemical weapons against its own nationals," the department said in the Federal Register.

 

Kim's estranged half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, was killed at the airport in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 13, 2017. Two women, Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, are on trial on charges of murdering Kim by smearing his face with VX.

 

(Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-07

I am liking Trumps games of carrot and stick with the Korean government. It marks a contrast to Trump's predecessors and their carrot and bigger carrot, and even bigger carrot games which led to Kim having fully functioning nuclear weapons, and made a total fool out of Trump's predecessors. Strongmen like Kim appreciate the clear lines in the sand Trump has drawn. Good luck to both sides here, hopefully some sort of working relationship can be forged.

 Aside from the praise for US/NK's budding relationship, I have a hard time with why America thinks that Kim having possibly murdered his brother on Malaysian soil is anything to do with America whatsoever. This playing world police after having destabilized so many sovereign nations is getting tiresome. 

1 hour ago, FreddieRoyle said:

I am liking Trumps games of carrot and stick with the Korean government. It marks a contrast to Trump's predecessors and their carrot and bigger carrot, and even bigger carrot games which led to Kim having fully functioning nuclear weapons, and made a total fool out of Trump's predecessors. Strongmen like Kim appreciate the clear lines in the sand Trump has drawn. Good luck to both sides here, hopefully some sort of working relationship can be forged.

 Aside from the praise for US/NK's budding relationship, I have a hard time with why America thinks that Kim having possibly murdered his brother on Malaysian soil is anything to do with America whatsoever. This playing world police after having destabilized so many sovereign nations is getting tiresome. 

It clearly states the reason:

 

Pyongyang used the chemical warfare agent VX

It's just a murder in another country! What has the US to do with that? Give those US 'people' a map for Flying Spaghetti Monster sake ...

3 minutes ago, Jack Mountain said:

It's just a murder in another country! What has the US to do with that? 

The self proclaimed arbiter who wants to bring peace to all regions in the world, like they have been doing since Vietnam. Look at the stability in the middle east and Afghanistan

4 minutes ago, Jack Mountain said:

It's just a murder in another country! What has the US to do with that? Give those US 'people' a map for Flying Spaghetti Monster sake ...

quite. The Korean lad was murdered in Malaysia, by alleged Indonesian and Vietnamese assassins, and here have the US acting and interfering in another countries political affairs(again) all while the USA's mainstream media is STILL bleating 24/7 about some may have/could have Russian interference in their own affairs. Logic please? Anybody?

3 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

Aside from the praise for US/NK's budding relationship, I have a hard time with why America thinks that Kim having possibly murdered his brother on Malaysian soil is anything to do with America whatsoever. This playing world police after having destabilized so many sovereign nations is getting tiresome. 

Well look at that. Common ground. I agree 100%.