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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 16 august 2023

N. Korea denounces U.S. plans for an open U.N. Security Council meeting

By EDITH M. LEDERER The council therefore is not
Associated Press expected to take any ac-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — tion at Thursday’s meeting.
North Korea on Tuesday China and Russia could
denounced U.S.-led plans protest holding an open
for an open Security Coun- meeting, which requires
cil meeting on its human support from at least nine
rights record as “despi- of the 15 council members,
cable” and only aimed at but U.S. officials have said
achieving Washington’s the meeting will take place.
geopolitical ambitions. Kim, the DPRK’s vice minis-
Vice Foreign Minister Kim ter for international organi-
Son Gyong called the zations, warned countries
United States a “declining” “blindly following the U.S.”
power and said if the coun- to “behave themselves
cil dealt with any coun- properly.”
try’s human rights, the U.S. And he called on all coun-
should be the first “as it is cil members “to take a cor-
the anti-people empire of rect stand and attitude,”
evils, totally depraved due and said they should un-
to all sorts of social evils.” derstand that the real U.S.
The United States, which intention “has nothing to
holds the Security Coun- A poster is displayed to oppose the joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea near do with the universal con-
cil presidency this month, the U.S. embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. ception of human rights
scheduled the meeting on Associated Press protection and it is only for
human rights in the Demo- Asia country, would brief Nate Evans, the spokesper- diverts a large share of its realizing its narrow-minded
cratic People’s Republic of council members. son for the U.S. Mission to the budget and resources to and hegemonic geopoliti-
Korea, North Korea’s offi- The Security Council “must United Nations, responded weapons development,” cal purpose.”
cial name, for Thursday. address the horrors, the to Kim Son Gyong’s remarks Evans said in a statement Kim also warned that North
It will be the first open coun- abuses and crimes being by reiterating that North Ko- to The Associated Press. Korea would “resolutely
cil meeting on the DPRK perpetrated” by North Ko- rea’s ongoing human rights Russia and China, which counter any hostile act of
rights issue since 2017. rean leader Kim Jong Il’s re- violations and abuses “go have close ties to North Ko- the U.S. threatening peace
U.S. Ambassador Linda gime against its own peo- against the very principles rea, have blocked any Se- and security on the Korean
Thomas-Greenfield told re- ple as well as the people of the U.N Charter and are curity Council action since peninsula and the rest of
porters last week that U.N. of Japan and South Korea, directly linked to Pyong- vetoing a U.S.-sponsored the world and absolutely
human rights chief Volker Thomas-Greenfield, flanked yang’s unlawful weapons resolution in May 2022 that defend the sovereignty of
Türk and Elizabeth Salmon, by the ambassadors from of mass destruction and would have imposed new the state, the supreme hu-
the U.N.’s independent in- Albania, Japan and South ballistic missile programs.” sanctions over the North’s man rights, and the interests
vestigator on human rights Korea, said when making “North Koreans are suffer- spate of intercontinental of the popular masses.”q
in the reclusive northeast the announcement. ing while the DPRK regime ballistic missile launches.

Netanyahu voices support for Israel’s military after his allies and

son lambaste security officials

JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime for the military following re- Thousands of military pilots perhaps the most serious Bar on Tuesday over the re-
Minister Benjamin Netan- cent rhetorical attacks on and soldiers have vowed threat to the legislation, servist protests.
yahu sought to reassure senior security officials by not to turn up for reserve which has already spurred Halevi and other army offi-
the Israeli public and army his far-right political allies duty in protest of Netan- unrelenting street demon- cials have warned that tur-
Tuesday of his full support and divisive son. yahu’s contentious plan to strations and fury from for- moil in the military could af-
overhaul the country’s judi- mer Israeli officials and top fect Israel’s preparedness.
ciary, sparking a backlash business leaders. In a scathing rant, Amsa-
from the Israeli leader’s co- Since its founding, the rela- lem blamed Halevi and Bar
alition allies and other ultra- tively tiny Israeli army has for the anti-government
nationalists. relied on reservists to main- protests roiling their ranks
“The prime minister and tain its operational readi- and asked they be pun-
defense minister reject any ness in a historically hostile ished for undermining Isra-
attack on senior security region. el’s security. “In any normal
establishment officials and Netanyahu’s allies have army, you treat rebels like
fully back the commanders pushed back against the rebels should be treated,”
and soldiers of the IDF (Is- military’s warnings and Amsalem told Israel’s Army
rael Defense Forces), who criticism of the proposed Radio.
are working day and night judicial changes. David Amsalem also berated
for the security of Israel,” Amsalem, a minister in Ne- prominent judicial figures
Netanyahu’s office said. tanyahu’s government and and former military officials
Israelis protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Growing opposition within a member of his right-wing backing the protest move-
Netanyahu’s government to overhaul the judicial system, in Tel the Israeli military to gov- Likud party, attacked chief ment, demanding that
Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Aug 12, 2023. ernment plans to weaken of staff Gen. Herzi Halevi they “rot in prison until the
Associated Press
the Supreme Court poses and air force chief Tomer end of their lives.”q