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AP/Press Association Images

US imposes financial sanctions on North Korea over Sony hack

Obama said they were aimed at the government of the country and not its citizens.

THE UNITED STATES imposed financial sanctions Friday on North Korea and several senior government officials in retaliation for a cyber attack on Hollywood studio Sony Pictures.

President Barack Obama said he ordered the sanctions because of “the provocative, destabilising, and repressive actions and policies of the Government of North Korea, including its destructive, coercive cyber-related actions during November and December 2014.”

The activities “constitute a continuing threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” he added, in a letter to inform congressional leaders of his executive order.

“The order is not targeted at the people of North Korea, but rather is aimed at the Government of North Korea and its activities that threaten the United States and others,” Obama added.

“Today’s actions are driven by our commitment to hold North Korea accountable for its destructive and destabilizing conduct,” declared US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, announcing the sanctions.

Sanctions

The new measures allow the Treasury Department “to apply sanctions against officials of the Government of North Korea and the Workers’ Party of Korea, and persons determined to be owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of” these bodies.

The United States has blamed North Korea for a crippling cyber attack on Sony Pictures that saw the release of a trove of embarrassing emails, scripts and other internal communications, including information about salaries and employee health records.

Pyongyang has repeatedly denied involvement in the hack but has applauded the actions of a shadowy online group which claimed responsibility for the cyber attack, the self-styled “Guardians of Peace.”

Obama has said his government takes the hack “very seriously” and had warned the United States would “respond proportionately.”

Originally published: 20.02

- © AFP, 2014

Read: Hacking, war and talks with South Korea… Kim Jong Un gave a New Year’s Day speech>

Read: Sony is expanding the number of places where The Interview can be seen>

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Dec 10th 2013, 11:44 AM

    Why can we not call these excuses for human beings what they are – paedophiles; and what they do by its proper name, ie, paedophilia?

    44
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    Mute Martin Bishop
    Favourite Martin Bishop
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    Dec 10th 2013, 11:23 AM

    We’ll be hearing about abuses in Africa, South America and Asia for many many decades to cone,
    I’m sure they’ll regret every one of them,

    35
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    Mute DarthTempus
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    Dec 10th 2013, 11:28 AM

    They’ll apologise for their “failings” no doubt and move on whilst still indoctrinating impressionable and desperate african youths through lies and myths.

    37
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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Dec 10th 2013, 11:47 AM

    Africa has just scratched the tip of the iceberg and so has South America and not just sexual abuse. A big issue for the catholic church and for other churches is the corruption that is endemic in the African church.

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    Mute declan hegarty
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    Dec 10th 2013, 2:04 PM

    What a great group of charitable people we have in our belovable church …….. They just keep giving and giving till the receivers cannot take it any more

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    Mute Patrick Brompton
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    Dec 10th 2013, 5:00 PM

    I worked as a lay teacher in a Kiltegan school in Africa for two years. I can honestly say that I never saw or heard of any type of abuse of children by any Kiltegan priest during those years, not even the corporal punishment which was standard in Irish schools at that time. I saw a great deal of good work being done by them in the school, in agricultural and fishing schemes and in vocational job training. I am not denying any of the problems identified in the Report and I am sympathetic to the victims. I want to record my own experience that they 10 or so Kiltegans I knew were decent men doing decent work, living lives frequently of great hardship in a remote region, and were a credit to Ireland.

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    Mute Tara Looney
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    Dec 10th 2013, 8:07 PM

    Agree, I know one of these priests personally, a really great and selfless man.

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    Mute Beabad Bishop
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    Dec 10th 2013, 8:35 PM

    Patrick Paedophiles don’t exactly go around raping children openly that might explain why you never saw or heard anything. Because let’s face it if you did you would have done something about it right ? And paedophilic cleric know that too so it would be in their interests to keep things secret ergo no evidence .Savvy !

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    Mute Patrick Brompton
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    Dec 10th 2013, 10:18 PM

    You are probably right, BB, but, so far as I am aware, no such allegations have come to light in the 40 years since I worked for them. Of those I knew, two have left the priesthood to get married. At least three others have died on mission and two came back to Ireland to die. Yet others are still working there, living lives of sacrifice and good example. Few of us have that strength and motivation, I certainly don’t. Sadly, proven allegations against one taint all. Let us respect the good work done.

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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Dec 10th 2013, 12:01 PM

    I heard many years ago that a fund was available to support the children of Missionary’s. I was also told none of the fund was spent in Ireland, even though it was administered from a village in West Wicklow.

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    Mute Geert Wilders
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    Dec 10th 2013, 12:02 PM

    Wow really trying to gin up the anti-catholic acolytes today, 4 or 5 seperate articles no less.

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    Mute DarthTempus
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    Dec 10th 2013, 12:04 PM

    Geert there is a separate article for each diocese in today’s published report. This is corrwct and proper. This is an important piece of news and deserves to be covered as such.

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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Dec 10th 2013, 12:20 PM

    Lane comment Geert. Like many of the commentators on here I’m a catholic ,albeit not very active. Holding the church to account for its despicable actions is not anti catholic at all

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    Mute declan hegarty
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    Dec 10th 2013, 2:07 PM

    Maybe we should not report anything and sweep under the rug again…….and again……and again

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