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US must avoid military conflict with North Korea: Human rights expert

Thursday, 30 November 2017 6:29 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 30 November 2017 10:16 PM ]

Daniel Kovalik

The American public and international community must pressure the United States to avoid a military conflict with North Korea, since a war would be devastating for both sides, a human rights expert and peace activist says.

“It would be very unlikely for there to be military conflict between the United States and North Korea,” said Daniel Kovalik, who teaches international human rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in the state of Pennsylvania.

“Obviously, any such conflict would be devastating, particularly to North Korea,” Kovalik told Press TV on Wednesday.

“But, given the current state of affairs, given frankly the current person who is sitting in the Oval Office, I do not totally discount the possibility of some sort of war or conflict,” he added.

“I think the world should be concerned about it and I think that people need to put pressure particularly on the United States to refrain from any military actions against North Korea. This is something that needs to be negotiated,” the expert noted.

“I do not think that North Korea would ever be the aggressor; I think they feel they need to show that they could defend themselves.”

PressTV-Trump threatens North Korea with ‘destruction’

The US president advises Pyongyang against underestimating the US strength and determination.

Tensions have been building on the Korean Peninsula following a series of nuclear and missile tests by Pyongyang as well as threats of war and personal insults traded between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump and other senior US officials have threatened North Korea with destruction if it continues nuclear “provocations.”

The US has been in a constant tussle with North Korea over its weapons programs. Washington says those programs pose a threat to the US and its allies while North Korea says it needs to develop its military strength to guard against potential invasion by the US and its allies.

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