Washington is considering new military deployments in the Pacific Ocean to back up its forces in South Korea.
The US Defense Department said the reinforcements would act as a deterrent against any North Korean aggression, in the event that the US goes to war against Baghdad. Among the possible moves is the deployment of additional bombers to the island of Guam and fighter planes to Japan.
American officials denied any direct link to the confrontation with North Korea over its nuclear activities, which they said was being handled diplomatically, the BBC reported.
Meanwhile, also on Monday, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said US President George W. Bush still believed the North Korean standoff could be resolved peacefully. "That doesn't mean the United States won't have contingencies and make certain those contingencies are viable," Fleischer said.
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld held talks on Monday in Washington with a visiting South Korean presidential envoy, Roh Moo-hyun. According to a US spokesman, the meeting focused on the future of US forces stationed in the South. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
