U.S. Ambassador to U.N. Nikki Haley says a sanctions regime the world body exacted on North Korea last week was ‘massive’ and has only started to effect.
The sanctions package capped oil imports, barred textile exports and prohibited the hiring of more North Korea guest workers.
‘At that point, you know, there’s not a whole lot the Security Council is going to be able to do from here, when you’ve cut 90 percent of the trade, and 30 percent of the oil,’ Haley said Wednesday at the White House’s daily briefing with reporters.
Haley’s description of the sanctions contradicted President Trump’s own claim earlier this week that the sanctions were a ‘very small step’ and ‘not a big deal.’
‘I think what the president’s saying is this is just the beginning of what we can do,’ she stated.
U.S. Ambassador to U.N. Nikki Haley says a sanctions regime the world body exacted on North Korea last week was ‘massive’ and has only started to effect
In a comment that raised eyebrows, Haley also said she has ‘no problem’ kicking the conflict with the rogue nation to General James Mattis’ way because the defense secretary has plenty of option in his playbook.
Haley’s description of the thinning sands at the United Nations and the role Mattis might play in resolving the dispute laid bare the administration’s diminishing diplomatic options.
If North Korea continues its provocative behavior, Haley suggested the U.S. would have to take matters into its own hands. That could include single-handed sanctions on countries that do any trade whatsoever with North Korea, as Trump has said.
It could also be short-hand for the kind of military action that Trump has repeatedly refused to rule out.
Asked outside if the U.S. was running out of options when it comes to North Korea, Trump mouthed the word ‘no’ to a reporter. The journalist asked again, this time adding the word diplomatic, and Trump said the same thing.
The heavy sanctions that went into effect this week were for a nuclear test conducted earlier this month.
Clearly, it was not be enough to deter. the nation’s vicious dictator, Kim Jong-un, from developing a nuclear weapon with the ability to devastate areas inside the continental U.S. Kim has since launched another intercontinental ballistic missile.
‘That’s going to take a little bit of time, but it has already started to take effect,’ she said.
Asked outside if the U.S. was running out of options when it comes to North Korea, Trump mouthed the word ‘no’ to a reporter. The journalist asked again, this time adding the word diplomatic, and Trump said the same thing
Haley said she remains committed to trying to push through as many diplomatic options as possible.
‘What we are seeing is they continue to be provocative, they continue to be reckless. And at that point, you know, there’s not a whole lot the Security Council is going to be able to do from here, when you’ve cut 90 percent of the trade, and 30 percent of the oil.
‘So having said that, I had no problem kicking it to General Mattis, because I think he has plenty of options,’ she said.
The president’s national security adviser H.R. McMaster chimed in to say, ‘Now, it’s not what we would prefer to do. So what we have to do is call on all nations, call on everyone, to do everything we can to address this global problem short of war.
‘So that is implementing now these significant sanctions that have just now gone into place, and it is convincing everyone to do everything that they can. And that it’s in their interest to do it.’
Trump complained earlier this week that the sanction package was not enough as he speculated that it might not have an impact.
‘It’s just another very small step. Not a big deal,’ Trump said. ‘I don’t know if it has any impact, but certainly it was nice to get a 15-0 vote.’
The president’s national security adviser H.R. McMaster said of war with North Korea: ‘Now, it’s not what we would prefer to do. So what we have to do is call on all nations, call on everyone, to do everything we can to address this global problem short of war’
Haley put the exact opposite spin on the security council sanctions today.
Confronted with Trump’s small step comment, she said: ‘First of all, let’s talk about what a big sanctions resolution this was.
‘The first one was $1 billion. This second one was $1.3 billion, not counting the 30 percent decrease in oil,’ she said. ‘We have cut off now 90 percent of trade going into North Korea, and they are saying that this was — so, you know, whether some believe it’s big or small, I think what the president’s saying is this is just the beginning of what we can do.’
‘By the time we get going on this, if we have to go further, this is going to look small, compared to what we do,’ Haley contended. ‘But no, it was a massive sanctions bill. And I think the fact that we had a 15 and 0 record and you have China on board and Russia on board — I think that’s very important.’
‘We’ve cut 30 percent of the oil. Is there more you can do? There’s always more you can do. But then you get into the humanitarian aspect of it, which is at what point are you going and actually hurting down to the people of North Korea.’
Reporters shouted at Trump about North Korea when he was taking off for Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
At a speech there, he said that North Korea ‘has once again shown its utter contempt for its neighbors’ with its latest missile test.
Trump said that when the United States’ enemies hear the F-35 arrive, ‘Their souls will tremble and they will know the day of reckoning has arrived.’