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U.S. NEWSFriday 19 February 2016

White House slaps new sanctions against North Korea

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pauses outside the Senate chamber to speak with reporters as the Senate. Korea, purchase commu-
he arrives for a vote to impose more stringent sanctions on North Korea, at the Capitol in Washing- Obama signed the legisla- nications equipment and
ton. Walking to vote at left is Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. tion away from the news support humanitarian assis-
media and issued no state- tance programs.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) ment. Up until Wednesday, “This is an authoritarian re-
the administration had said gime.
DARLENE SUPERVILLE launched a satellite-carry- Democratic and Repub- it didn’t oppose the bill but It’s provocative. It has re-
Associated Press ing rocket into space and lican lawmakers, many declined to say whether peatedly violated U.N.
WASHINGTON (AP) — conducted its fourth under- of whom argue Obama Obama would sign it into resolutions, tested and pro-
President Barack Obama ground nuclear test. hasn’t been tough enough law. duced nuclear weapons,
slapped North Korea with Both actions led to world- with North Korea, over- The expanded sanctions and now they are trying to
more stringent sanctions wide condemnation of the whelmingly approved the are being imposed as perfect their missile launch
Thursday for defying the reclusive country and fu- bill last week and sent it the U.S. and China are in system,” Obama told “CBS
world and pushing forward eled fears that it continues to the White House. The delicate negotiations over This Morning” after North
with its nuclear weapons to move toward building House voted 408-2, follow- a United Nations Security Korea launched the long-
program, weeks after it an atomic arsenal. ing a unanimous vote by Council resolution on new range rocket,
sanctions. Sen. Bob Menendez, a
China, North Korea’s most New Jersey Democrat and
important ally, has raised sponsor of the bill, said he
concerns about measures hoped the U.N. Security
that could devastate North Council and China, in par-
Korea’s economy. ticular, will “take notice of
The new measures are in- this strong showing of U.S.
tended to deny North Ko- leadership” and work to
rea the money it needs to put in place similar mea-
develop miniaturized war- sures.
heads and the long-range “Let’s stand together with a
missiles required to deliver single voice and one clear
them. message: Any provoca-
The legislation also autho- tion will be met with conse-
rizes $50 million over the quences that will shake the
next five years to transmit Kim regime to its founda-
radio broadcasts into North tions,” Menendez said. q

US asked Russia not to bomb near US commandos in Syria

Associated Press where several dozen U.S. disclosed on Thursday. randum of understanding” eral areas where we have
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. special operation forces The request, which had not with the Russians to avoid coalition forces,” Lt. Gen.
officials asked Russia to have been working with been revealed previously, inadvertent military air col- Charles Q. Brown told re-
avoid bombing broad Syrians fighting the Islamic goes beyond what the lisions over Syria. porters at the Pentagon
areas of northern Syria, State group, the Pentagon Pentagon calls its “memo- Pentagon press secretary in an interview from his
Peter Cook said the Rus- headquarters in Qatar.
sians were not told exactly “We don’t want them to
where the U.S. special op- strike there because all
erations troops are oper- it’s going to do is escalate
ating but were asked to things. And I don’t think the
avoid certain broad areas Russians want to escalate
as a safety measure. He against the coalition.”
said the Russians have hon- Brown is commander of U.S.
ored the U.S. request. Air Forces Central Com-
“We’ve told them these mand, responsible for U.S.
are areas that we have air operations across the
coalition forces in — gen- greater Middle East.q