North Korea slams United States over prisoner abuse in Iraq

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ North Korea on Saturday harshly condemned the United States for abusing prisoners in Iraq, calling it an ``empire of evil.'' <br/><br/>The communist, totalitarian state's

Saturday, May 15th 2004, 11:05 am

By: News On 6

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ North Korea on Saturday harshly condemned the United States for abusing prisoners in Iraq, calling it an ``empire of evil.''

The communist, totalitarian state's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, a ruling party organization, as saying that American soldiers ``committed shuddering atrocities without hesitation.''

``Yankees have turned Iraq into a chasm of death,'' an unidentified committee spokesman said, according to the North's official NCNA news agency.

The abuses ``are a continuation of hideous terrorism and human rights abuses the U.S. has perpetrated against other countries and nations throughout its history, as it is known to be an empire of evil whose main mission is to commit aggression, murder, terrorism and maltreatment,'' the spokesman said.

North Korea is frequently named as one of the world's most egregious rights abusers, accused of torture, forced abortions and infanticide, as well as harsh restrictions on freedom of expression and foreign travel.

The North also railed against the United States for the Korean War.

``Yankees brutally killed innocent civilians in Sinchon and other parts of (North Korea) during the Korean War,'' he said. ``They continue killing, raping and plundering South Koreans, young and old, men and women, still today though it is nearing 60 years since their occupation of South Korea.''

North Korea views the 37,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as occupation forces, and has long demanded the end of the U.S. military presence on the Korean Peninsula. In 2002, President Bush described North Korea as being part of an ``axis of evil'' along with Iran and Iraq.