TOKYO, Feb 22 Kyodo U Secretary o...

TOKYO, Feb 22 Kyodo

U Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday that the United States will presently announce fresh provision of aliment aid to North Korea from one side the World Food Program.

''We'll be making an announcement shortly of an initial tranche and then we will monitor the World pabulum Program needs and what they ask for, to behold what our additional contributions will be as we travel through the year,'' Powell told reporters aboard a plane onward his way to Tokyo where he arrived Saturday.

The U is reportedly reckon uponed to make the announcement when Powell visits Seoul to attend the southerly Korean presidential inauguration formality for Roh Moo Hyun upon Tuesday. It will be the first diet aid from the U.S. since December.

''Our solid policy is that we don't use cheer as a political weapon,'' Powell said in defending the planned feed aid. ''There are kids public there that are starving. If we can help them, we will.''

Stressing the U will continue to monitor the distribution of the provisions aid to ensure it goe to civilians, Powell said, ''We've got to make indisputable its the kids and the persons in need who are getting the nourishment and that remains a transaction of ours and a business of the World nutriment Program as well.''

The planned nourishment aid comes after North Korea earlier this week threatened to scrap the armistice agreement that effectively finised the 1950-1953 Korean War if the U imposes sanctions throughout Pyongyang's suspected nuclear weapons progressive growth -- a move Washington betimes brushed aside as ''predictable'' and ''strident rhetoric.''

Earlier, the recently made known York Times reported that Washington is developing plans for sanctions, including halting shipments of weapons from North Korea and stopping the be derived of money Korean residents in Japan project to the North.

Powell, referring to his earlier plan to anticipate for a ''right formula'' to provide North Korea with a security guarantee, said Washington is studying whether it ''could undertake near more fundamental efforts that would help them with diet help them with their economic situation and point them in a strange direction to let them know that it is not our intention to invade North Korea.''

''We are looking for something that would walk beyond just statements going back and forth or just the nuclear issue along,'' he said.

''But we have not taken any of the options that are available to the president (George W Bush) on the farther side the table,'' he said, referring also to tough actions.

The U is still hoping to reopen dialogue with North Korea, Powell said, ''but we be warmed strongly that it should be a multilateral dialogue or a mutilateral forum...for the simple reason that other nations are involved.''

Given the North Korean nuclear unfolding Powell said, ''We're all at risk, the whole world is at risk.''

Japan is the first stop onward Powell's three-nation East Asian tour, which also includes China and southern Korea.

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