As N. Korea Resolution Passes, No Force on Ships, AK-47s In, U.S. Does Not Speak at UN, Georgia (and DC) In Mind
By Matthew Russell Lee 
June 12, 2009
The Inner City Press 
Original Source: 
http://www.innercitypress.com/unsc1may5dprk061209.html http://www.innercitypress.com/unsc1may5dprk061209.html
UNITED NATIONS, June 12 -- After twenty days of talking about nuclear North Korea, the UN Security Council on Friday adopted a sanctions resolution. Afterwards, China's Ambassador emerged to say that for cargo inspections, there should be no use of force, not even the threat of use of force. Inner City Press asked Japan's Ambassador Takasu, who was bragging how strong the resolution is, if what China said is true. Video http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/stakeout/2009/so090612am5.rm here.
   In a lengthy answer, Amb. Takasu argued that the resolution calls for suspicious ships to go to the nearest port. And if they don't? Then they get reported to the Security Council's committee on North Korea sanctions. It is reminiscent of a scene in the spoof film Team America, in which Hans Blix is asked by Kim Jong Il what Blix will do if North Korea does not comply. We will write another letter to you, Blix answers before being thrown to the sharks.
  Inner City Press asked French Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert why he had voted for a resolution which explicitly allowed continued sales of small arms and light weapons to North Korea. From http://www.franceonu.org/spip.php?article4001 France's transcript:
Inner City Press: The resolution allows for sale of small arms and weapons to North Korea, there is an exclusion to allow that sale. Why is it in there and does France favor that ?
Amb. Ripert: for light arms, some categories of arms. It was requested by some member states saying that what we want to achieve is not to have a full embargo against the country of North Korea, what we want to achieve is to cut the links that North Korea has to get some resources to fund its programs and its by exporting arms that they get some funding. So the important part of the reasoning was to stop the export of all those arms to cut their resources and their funding.
Inner City Press: Is there any discussion about the two journalists which have been arrested and now condemned to 12 years of hard labour ? What does France think of that ?
Amb. Ripert: there were discussions all over the place at the United Nations but not in the Security Council. We were discussing the resolution. We of course strongly condemn the condemnation of those journalists.
  Inner City Press asked new UK Deputy Permanent Representative Philip John Parham if and why the UK supported allowing the sale of small arms and light weapons to North Korea. We have have preferred a broader ban, he said, but this is what has been agreed by the Council. Video http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/stakeout/2009/so090612am2.rm?start=00:04:40 here, from Minute 4:40. The UK reportedly held another briefing for select journalists; perhaps there they explained their vote for a specific exclusion to allow continued flow of SLAW.
    Inner City Press also asked Ripert about the state of negotiations on the Abkhazia resolution which would have to pass by Monday:
Inner City Press: About the Georgia consultations given President Sarkozy’s role in it. Is there a resolution ready for vote Monday and does France believe that it should say Abkhazia, Georgia, or how is that going to be resolved, what is your thinking ?
Amb. Ripert: There are talks going on now, as you know we had to spend a lot of time on North Korea, unfortunately we started discussing Georgia a bit late. There are very serious talks now among the group of friends of Georgia and we will continue those talks probably today, this morning and we hope to be in a position to circulate the text as soon as possible with the aim of adopting a new regime before the expiration of the resolution on Monday night.
   Later the German mission specified that negotiations will continue over the weekend. Georgia's president has reportedly vowed to do all possible to get the word Georgia in the resolution. But Russia is holding most of the cards. We'll see.
Footnote: No U.S. representative came to the UN stakeout on Friday to talk about the resolution. The US Mission explained that Susan Rice was in Washington. Some questioned why the U.S. would have so little to say at the UN on this issue. Regardless of one's view, the fact is that France, Japan and the UK spoke and took questions, while China spoke but took no questions. The U.S. neither spoke at the stakeout nor took questions. It can further be noted that while UK Permanent Representative Sawers is away, his Deputy spoke and took questions. What does this all mean? Watch this site.