US has no plans to attack North Korea

THE United States has no plans to attack North Korea and is ready to wait months to see if diplomacy can persuade Pyongyang to abandon nuclear programs, Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday.

"We are not planning a preemptive strike. The United States has a full range of capabilities political, economic, diplomatic and, yes, military. But we are not trying to create a crisis atmosphere by threatening North Korea," Powell said.

"It is not a crisis but it is a matter of great concern," Powell said of Pyongyang's nuclear program. "We are keeping all of our options open and we are approaching this in a very deliberate way," he added.