Washington: Sen.

John McCain said Tuesday that Americans who are "stupid" enough to
still want to travel to North Korea should be required to sign a waiver absolving
the US government of any blame should they be harmed while there.

File photo of John McCain. Reuters. File photo of John McCain. Reuters.
McCain, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said North Korea "murdered"
Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old American college student who died just days after
North Korea released him from detention in a coma. He had arrived in Ohio on 13
June after being held for more than 17 months.

"They just murdered him," McCain said.

The University of Virginia student was accused of trying to steal a propaganda

banner while visiting with a tour group and was convicted of subversion. He was
sentenced in March 2016 to 15 years in prison with hard labor.

"There should at least be a form for them to fill out that says, 'If I go to North
Korea, I understand I am taking great risk and I do not hold the American
government responsible. Now I hope the American government will help, etc., etc.
But I realize what has happened to previous American citizens, including their
deaths,'" McCain, R-Ariz., said in a brief interview.

"I would have that first because if people are that stupid that they still want to
go to that country then at least they assume the responsibility for their welfare,"
McCain said.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Relations
Committee, said the US should think about banning US citizens from visiting North
Korea.

"I think we should strongly consider it," Corker said. "It puts us in a really
precarious situation when Americans are detained there."

The United States, South Korea and others have accused North Korea of using foreign
detainees has hostages to secure diplomatic concessions. Three Americans remain in
custody in the North.

"It's unsafe," Corker said, adding that the "trumped up charges" like those
Warmbier was accused of "can continue to happen."