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North Korea: Fidel Castro warns Kim Jong-un against war

Writing in Cuban state media, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro warned North Korea, a Cuban ally, against nuclear war. He called the situation on the Korean Peninsula 'incredible and absurd.'

Former Cuban leader聽聽warned ally聽聽against war on Friday and described the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula as one of the "gravest risks" for nuclear holocaust since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

Saying he spoke as a friend,聽Castro聽wrote in Cuban state media that聽, led by 30-year-old聽, had shown the world its technical prowess and now it was time to remember its duties to others.

, which along with聽聽is one of the world's last communist countries, has been ratcheting up pressure by declaring war on neighbor聽聽and threatening to stage a nuclear strike on the聽.

Few observers believe it will actually attack anyone, but聽Castro聽has become an anti-nuclear advocate in recent years.

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was always friendly with聽, as聽聽always has been and will continue to be with her,"聽Castro聽wrote, using an almost paternalistic tone.

"Now that it has demonstrated its technical and scientific advances, we remind it of its duties to other countries who have been great friends and that it would not be just to forget that such a war would affect in a special way more than 70 percent of the world's population," said the 86-year-old, who turned聽聽communist after taking power in a 1959 revolution.

Castro聽called the present situation on the Korean Peninsula "incredible and absurd," but said "it has to do with one of the gravest risks of nuclear war since the Crisis of October (Cuban Missile Crisis), 50 years ago."

He led聽聽through the October 1962 showdown when the聽听补苍诲听聽nearly went to war over the placement of Soviet nuclear missiles on聽, 90 miles (144 km) south of聽.

At one point,聽Castro聽wrote a letter to Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev urging a nuclear attack on the聽, which he assumed was about to invade the聽听颈蝉濒补苍诲.

Cooler heads prevailed as Khruschev and President John F. Kennedy reached an agreement in which the Soviet missiles were removed and the聽聽promised never to invade聽.

Castro听谤耻濒别诲听聽for 49 years before age and ill health forced him to step down in 2008.

He was succeeded as president by younger brother Raul聽Castro, 81, but remains a power behind the scenes and writes occasional columns for Cuban press.

The elder聽Castro聽also said the聽聽had the responsibility to prevent war, which he said if unleashed would make President聽聽look like "the most sinister person in the history of the聽."