North Korea pointed fingers at the United States, in a strongly-worded statement on Sunday, alleging that a recent attack on the Cuban embassy in Washington amounted to a “despicable anti-Cuban” act encouraged by the U.S., characterizing it as a “terrorist” incident on American soil.
North Korea’s foreign ministry spokesperson criticized the United States for failing to guarantee the safety of the Cuban mission and for appearing eager to designate countries it disapproved of, such as Cuba, as state sponsors of terrorism. Notably, North Korea, Syria, and Iran are all included on the State Department’s list.
The attack, which occurred on September 24, involved an assailant throwing two Molotov cocktails at the embassy. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the property sustained minimal damage. Nevertheless, the North Korean spokesperson labeled it as a “grave terrorist attack,” highlighting that it followed a similar incident in 2020 when shots were fired at the same embassy building.
The spokesperson asserted, “This serves as clear evidence that the aforementioned acts were carried out with the implicit connivance of the U.S. administration,” as stated in a release published by the official KCNA news agency.
In response to the 2020 shooting, U.S. authorities promptly arrested and indicted a suspect. The North Korean spokesperson urged the United States to take responsibility for not only the recent attack but also all prior terrorist cases, urging a thorough investigation to demonstrate its sincerity, instead of focusing on labeling nations as state sponsors of terrorism.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan condemned the attack, emphasizing that U.S. law enforcement agencies would conduct a thorough investigation. As of now, no one is in custody as the investigation remains ongoing, according to the Secret Service.
The Cuban embassy had reopened in 2015 when diplomatic relations were restored between Cuba and the United States. Cuba has repeatedly criticized Washington for keeping it on the terrorism list and maintaining a Cold War-era economic embargo, deeming such actions unreasonable.
