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| In Response to Sony Attack, U.S. Levies Sanctions on 10 North Koreans | In Response to Sony Attack, U.S. Levies Sanctions on 10 North Koreans |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| HONOLULU — The Obama administration doubled down on Friday on its allegation that North Korea’s leadership was behind the hacking of Sony Pictures as it announced new sanctions on 10 senior North Korean officials and several organizations. Administration officials said the action was part of what President Obama promised would be a “proportional response” against the country. | HONOLULU — The Obama administration doubled down on Friday on its allegation that North Korea’s leadership was behind the hacking of Sony Pictures as it announced new sanctions on 10 senior North Korean officials and several organizations. Administration officials said the action was part of what President Obama promised would be a “proportional response” against the country. |
| But White House officials said there was no evidence that the 10 officials took part in ordering or planning the Sony attack, although they described them as central to a number of provocative actions against the United States. | But White House officials said there was no evidence that the 10 officials took part in ordering or planning the Sony attack, although they described them as central to a number of provocative actions against the United States. |
| “It’s a first step,” one of the officials said. “The administration felt that it had to do something to stay on point. This is certainly not the end for them.” | “It’s a first step,” one of the officials said. “The administration felt that it had to do something to stay on point. This is certainly not the end for them.” |
| The actions may well turn out to be more symbolic than substantive: North Korea already faces some of the heaviest sanctions of any country. The action seemed to be an effort to echo sanctions that the Bush administration imposed eight years ago against a bank that the North Korean leadership used to buy goods illicitly and to reward leaders for loyalty. Those penalties were later judged to be the only actions that got the attention of Kim Jong-il, the dictator whose son now runs the country. | |
| The more immediate impact of the announcement may be that the administration is not backing down on Mr. Obama’s announcement on Dec. 19, hours before leaving for his Hawaii vacation, that “North Korea engaged in this attack” on Sony Pictures. The president’s statement touched off an escalating debate between skeptics who said the attack came from inside Sony and government officials who said it could be traced to North Korea. | The more immediate impact of the announcement may be that the administration is not backing down on Mr. Obama’s announcement on Dec. 19, hours before leaving for his Hawaii vacation, that “North Korea engaged in this attack” on Sony Pictures. The president’s statement touched off an escalating debate between skeptics who said the attack came from inside Sony and government officials who said it could be traced to North Korea. |
| The security firms and analysts questioning the government’s decision to “attribute” the attack to North Korea say that the public indicators do not back up the case. They contend that the United States may have been duped by ingenious hackers who know how easy it is to hide one’s tracks in the cyberworld. | The security firms and analysts questioning the government’s decision to “attribute” the attack to North Korea say that the public indicators do not back up the case. They contend that the United States may have been duped by ingenious hackers who know how easy it is to hide one’s tracks in the cyberworld. |
| But Mr. Obama’s aides say those analysts do not have access to the evidence that persuaded the president, who is usually cautious on intelligence issues, to blame North Korea. They continue to insist that they cannot explain the basis of the president’s declaration without revealing some of the most sensitive sources and technologies at their disposal. | But Mr. Obama’s aides say those analysts do not have access to the evidence that persuaded the president, who is usually cautious on intelligence issues, to blame North Korea. They continue to insist that they cannot explain the basis of the president’s declaration without revealing some of the most sensitive sources and technologies at their disposal. |