The United States said today it is considering slapping its own financial sanctions on North Korea in addition to whatever punishment the United Nations takes against the North's recent nuclear test, according to Reuters. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters that U.S. action «within the banking sector certainly did get North Korea's attention previously, and if we can find ways that we can do that, we will do so.» In 2005, nuclear talks reached a crisis when the United States blacklisted a bank in the Chinese territory of Macau accused of helping North Korean money laundering and other illicit activities. The U.S. crackdown is believed to have hurt North Korean financial dealings severely, effectively severing the North from the international financial system as worried banks quit dealing with Pyongyang. The U.S. search for «financial levers» to pressure North Korea is meant to push the communist government back to stalled nuclear disarmament talks, Crowley said. «That's our ultimate objective, and we will continue to use whatever levers that we see available and we think will be effective.» He did not provide specific details of possible U.S. sanctions. His comments came as the North appeared to be preparing to test a missile that could reach the United States.
