North Korea: U.S. to blame for Europe's refugee crisis

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- North Korea blamed the United States for the refugee crisis in Europe and poured scorn on Tokyo for ratifying controversial bills that allow Japan's military to fight overseas.

Pyongyang's state-controlled newspaper Rodong Sinmun said Monday the root cause of the refugee crisis in Europe was the United States' war on terror, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

In an article titled "The author of the refugee crisis [in Europe] is the United States," North Korea said the United States' "power of authority and arbitrariness has dug the current grave for humanitarian values."

The article said the war that began in 2001 "in the name of counterterrorism, and caused by a U.S.-led NATO coalition in the flashpoint of Afghanistan, has resulted in the present-day refugee problem."

Pyongyang said the United States is the "kingpin of human rights violations," claiming Washington carried out the slaughter of people and causing countries to collapse.

The United States "will not be spared of severe judgment," the article added.

North Korea's statement comes at a time when the country has resisted outside opposition regarding its recent announcements to launch a long-range rocket and its intention to resume nuclear operations, and may have a military adversary in Tokyo, where new security bills could permit Japan's military to fight overseas.

A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said Sunday that Japan passed the bills in order to prepare for an invasion of North Korea, South Korean outlet Newsis reported.

"[Japan's] security laws are an ugly product of collusion between a United States that seeks to realize its ambition of dominating Asia and the world, using Japan's shock troops, and a Japan that seeks to invade countries abroad by piggybacking on the United States," the North Korean spokesman said.

North Korea said it is under the greatest threat of force, and that Japan has openly participated in U.S. military maneuvers in the region. In June, North Korea said the United States "will burn," after the guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville arrived at Yokosuka Naval Base.