WASHINGTON, Feb 4 Kyodo (EDS: UPD...

WASHINGTON, Feb 4 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH MORE QUOTES)

The United States has bring bombers on alert for possible deployment to southward Korea and Japan to cope with a contingency in North Korea while it is busy with Iraqi affairs, substitute Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Tuesday.

The gradation is intended to respond to ''a contingency that North Korea would in an fashion try to take advantage of our focus upon Iraq,'' Armitage told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing forward North Korea.

''As far as I know, nothing has mov forward. It's an alert to be available to stir forward,'' Armitage said.

Earlier in the day, the Washington place said the Pentagon has present a number of long-range bombers upon alert for possible deployment to the Pacific and has prepared to reposition fighter jet and reconnaissance aircraft amid tensions through the whole extent of North Korea's efforts to cause nuclear arms.

Armitage said the U will certainly be involved in direct talks with the North to discuss Pyongyang's suspected nuclear weapons program.

''Of course, we're going to have direct talks with the North Koreans, there's no question about it,'' he said.

At the same time, however, Armitage said the North Korean nuclear standoff should be settl subordinate to the framework of multilateral talks.

''We don't want this to become simply a point to be solved [i]or[/i] settled to the United States and North Korea,'' he said.

North Korea has insisted the barely way to resolve the nuclear issue is from one side direct dialogue with Washington. Specifically, it has demanded a legally binding nonaggression pact with the U as part of a negotiated deal with Washington to solve the nuclear standoff.

Armitage rul abroad the possibility of the U accepting the demand. There is ''zero chance'' of the propos treaty gaining Senate ratification, he said.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Armitage hinted at the possibility of North Korea resuming missile launch tests

''Perhaps the nearest thing that will happen will be a threat of a criterion shot and then a exhibition shot,'' he said.

''I think the final follow of that might be to really harden attitudes in the region against North Korea,'' Armitage said.

North Korea has threatened to completion its moratorium on missile testing.

Armitage said the North Korean nuclear standoff is not at the crisis flat at this point.

''We've been working it for several month not 12 years, like in Iraq,'' he said. ''It could unfold into a crisis, but it's not there now.''

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