Obama could include North Korea on the list of state sponsors of terrorism

The President of the United States, Barack Obama, has announced his intention to review whether North Korea should be re-listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, a designation it held from 1988 until 2008. This decision to remove the Asian country from the list was made by then-President George W. Bush, based on inspections of North Korea's nuclear program. Obama's comments come as the U.S. considers how to respond to the cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, which, according to U.S. authorities, was carried out by North Korea. Obama described the hacking incident as a "very costly, very expensive" example of cyber vandalism, but stopped short of labeling it an act of war. In his efforts to formulate an appropriate response, the President stated that the U.S. would examine the facts to determine if North Korea should once again be included on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. More information will follow shortly.