N. Korea mulls military action over sanctions

"Pyongyang vows to 'weaponize' plutonium in response to U.N. measures"

I'm surprised Kim Jong Il feels it even necessary to vow any response, since the so called sanctions are as toothless as any issued by the UN.

"The sanctions resolution approved on Friday banned all weapons exports from North Korea and most arms imports into the state. It authorized U.N. member states to inspect North Korean sea, air and land cargo, requiring them to seize and destroy any goods transported in violation of the sanctions."  

This sounds good, but as you read more about these so-called sanctions, you begin to see they are as meaningless as a letter of reprimand.

"Two senior diplomats negotiating the U.N. resolution told Reuters on condition of anonymity the Chinese had never really clarified whether they intended to implement the new sanctions resolution."

Since China is the hingepin for any sanctions at all to work, this should make it clear how ineffective and meaningless anything the UN declares really is.

"During more than two weeks of negotiations on the draft resolution, the United States and Japan had pushed to authorize forced inspections of suspicious air, land and sea cargo. But diplomats said Russia and China had made clear they would veto the resolution unless the inspections were based on consent.

The resolution did speak of a "required inspection" if a ship refuses to be inspected. But the ship's flag country could then send the vessel to any port it chooses, where the local authorities would carry out any cargo inspection. "

Yeah.. riiiiiight. This will work.. and to quote Wayne,  monkeys might fly outta my ass, too.

 "North Korea on Saturday threatened "resolute military action" if the United States tried to isolate it after the U.N. Security Council imposed widened sanctions against the reclusive communist state for a nuclear test in May.

The North also vowed to start a program to enrich uranium and to "weaponize" plutonium at its nuclear weapons plant, the North's official news agency KCNA quoted its foreign ministry spokesman as saying. "

Okay... so we are supposed to believe that sanctions which rely on inspections by consent to prevent the import and export of weapons (all other trade is okay, per the resolution) will be enough to pressure N.K. into stopping their drive for long range nuclear weapons. Huh.  UN Diplomats really must believe the world is full of idiots.  It might be worthwhile to clean out, reinforce and refurbish those old shelters built in the 50's, kids. N. K. is way more apt to actually follow through with a nuclear threat than the USSR ever was.