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US rules out attack on North Korea

The US secretary of state Colin Powell today ruled out any attack on North Korea.

Speaking at a press conference, Powell said: "We have no immediate plans to attack North Korea to force it to abandon its nuclear programme. We are keeping all our options open."

Asked if one of those options was an invasion of the type suggested for Iraq, Powell said: "Are you kidding me? Have you not been listening? These people have got nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. We'd have to be insane to attack them."

Talking of the Iraq situation, Mr Powell reiterated the government's position. "Saddam has lied about the weapons he has and that is a material breach of UN resolutions. We will therefore push for regime change and if necessary facilitate this transition without international aid."

Quizzed over apparent inconsistency in its foreign policy, Powell explained: "North Korea has admitted it has weapons of mass destruction, Iraq hasn't, so we must take over Iraq."

Asked what would happen if Iraq changed it tune and admitted it did have such weapons, Powell explained. "Then it will have broken UN resolution 1444 and we would be required to take over Iraq."

Meanwhile the two countries on the axis of evil may have struck upon the perfect solution. North Korea is expected to accept any and all weapons of mass destruction that Iraq owns in return for the oil that North Korea needs to function after its supplies were cut off by the US.

Such a move, a US spokesman warned would result in "us having to think. And that can only mean war."

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