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The United States is using North Korea as a scapegoat to stir up troubles and advance its military agenda across the volatile Asia-Pacific region, a political commentator says.

Christine J. Hong, professor of the University of California from Santa Cruz, said in an interview with Press TV that Washington was exaggerating the threat of North Korea in order to contain China’s influence and sell advanced weapon to its allies.

“North Korea functions as a very useful enemy, a very useful scapegoat in the larger Asia- Pacific region,” she said.

Hong further stressed that the US was selling weapons to Japan and South Korea on a mass scale and conducting joint military exercises with their forces in order to boost the US military buildup in the region.

Noting that the US lacks any evidence linking the alleged cyber attack on Sony Pictures to North Korea, the analyst said Washington doesn't see need to give reason or proof when it comes to countries it does not like.

“I think when it comes to countries like North Korea that have long been historic enemies of the United States. Proof is usually not necessary.”

The analyst also ruled out North Korea’s involvement in the sophisticated cyber attack.

"First of all, we don’t have any definite proof that North Korea did indeed carry out this hacking,” adding that “North Korea has vehemently denied any involvement,” she said.

The remarks come as Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in a statement it “now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions.”

The hack, which has been described as the most devastating cyber attack on a US business, has paralyzed Sony Pictures.

She concluded by saying that the FBI claims were akin to claims by former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell who had blamed Iraq for having weapons of mass destruction.