White House adviser hopes sanctions make their point to North Korea
Aug 8, 2017, 9:56 AM
In this July 28, 2017, file photo distributed by the North Korean government, shows what was said to be the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea. North Korea was the main concern cited in the "white paper" approved by Japan's Cabinet on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017, less than two weeks after the North test-fired its second ICBM. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the Korean Central News Agency via Korea News Service. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
Days after tougher sanctions against North Korea levied by the United Nations, a White House insider hoped the penalties serve their purpose.
“If there’s a chance of dealing with this peacefully, it’s what just happened last weekend,” presidential adviser Sebastian Gorka told KTAR 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Tuesday.
The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to set harsher punishment after North Korea launched two intercontinental missiles in July. The country said the missiles had the distance to reach the United States.
The nuclear aggression from Kim Jong Un has set world leaders on edge. Newer sanctions that further restrict North Korea’s trading could cost the small country $1 billion a year.
“… Hopefully sanity will prevail,” Gorka said, although North Korea has vowed “thousands-fold” revenge against America.
Gorka, a deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, praised the council’s actions.
“This is really historic. … We had a unanimous vote, not only of the 10 temporary rotating members of the U.N. Security Council, but also the five veto-power members, including China and Russia.
“It’s a very clear message you are on your own … you must stand down,” Gorka said.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that, “We don’t think having a dialogue where the North Koreans come to the table assuming they’re going to maintain their nuclear weapons is productive.”
