North Korea accuses US of defending Israeli massacre in Lebanon

North Korea on Wednesday accused the United States of defending a massacre by Israel in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, and called for an immediate halt to escalating violence in the Middle East.

A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman, in comments carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, said the US was defending brutal killings by Israel by calling them "self-defense." "This clearly shows how hypocritical, dangerous and reckless the Bush administration is as it claims to be an

apostle of peace and defender of human rights," the unnamed spokesman said. (AP)