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Obama: N. Korea should end belligerence

Obama: North Korea should end belligerence now

In meeting with UN secretary general, US president says no one wants to see Korean conflict but adds America will take 'all necessary steps' to protect citizens

US President Barack Obama says now is the time for North Korea to end its belligerence. He says the United States will take, in his words, "all necessary steps" to protect its people.

 

But Obama also says that no one wants to see a conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

  

North Korea ratcheted up its threats against the US after the UN Security Council levied new economic sanctions on the isolated nation. The penalties were in response to a February rocket launch.


סוללות פטריוט שהוצבו ליד סיאול, לכל צרה שלא תבוא (צילום: רויטרס)

Patriot battery near Seoul (Photo: AFP)

 

Obama spoke alongside UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon after the two met at the White House.

 

Obama said added that the United States would work diplomatically to reduce tensions with North Korea but added "Now's the time for North Korea to end the kind of belligerent approach that they've been taking and to try to lower temperatures."

 

"We will continue to try to work to resolve some of those issues diplomatically even, as I indicated to the secretary-general, that the United States will take all necessary steps to protect its people and to meet our obligations under our alliances in the region," Obama said.

 

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Thursday for China and other nations that have influence over North Korea to exercise leadership to reduce tensions with Pyongyang.

 

Ban praised the United States for its "measured" response to provocative rhetoric from North Korea.

 

Reuters and AP contributed to the report

 

 

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פרסום ראשון: 04.12.13, 00:02
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