US says it will not attack North Korea

THE United States said yesterday it was ready to tell North Korea it has no intention of attacking the reclusive state, which had fired off volleys of abuse, demanding to meet Washington over the nuclear crisis.

A South Korean envoy prepared to go to Pyongyang and the UN nuclear watchdog considered delaying an emergency meeting after Seoul urged the world body last week to give diplomacy a chance.

In Davos, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said the US is prepared to convey to North Korea it has no intention of attacking it.

"We are prepared to convey this in a way that makes it unmistakable to North Korea," Mr Powell told the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

Mr Powell said the US was willing to talk to the North but included the standard US requirement that the talks should be about "how it will meet its obligations to completely dismantle its nuclear weapons programs".

"The United States stands ready to build a different kind of relationship with North Korea once Pyongyang comes into verifiable compliance with its commitments," he added. "The North must be willing to act in a manner that builds trust."

North Korea has demanded the US open a dialogue and sign a non-aggression pact. US officials say a treaty is difficult because it needs Senate ratification. Nevertheless, the United States has promised to seek a peaceful solution with North Korea. The latest flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at persuading the communist North to renounce its nuclear arms ambitions gave the Vienna-based

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) pause in its plans for an emergency session as early as February 3.

In Vienna, the IAEA said it hoped to make a decision this week on when its governing board would meet to discuss whether to ask the UN Security Council to take on the North Korea crisis.

"The date (February 3) was only ever firm for around two hours," said IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming, adding she hoped for a decision this week after Seoul asked on Friday for more time for diplomacy to work. Pyongyang, which US President George W Bush has bracketed with Iraq and Iran as members of an axis of evil, has said UN sanctions would be a declaration of war. The council has the power to impose sanctions The North hurled abuse at the US overnight, accusing it of sparking the crisis, and demanded direct talks.

"The only way of solving the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula and in a fair way is for the DPRK (North Korea) and the US to hold direct and equal negotiations," the Korean Central News Agency quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman.