WASHINGTON, Dec 31 Kyodo U Presid...

WASHINGTON, Dec 31 Kyodo

U President George W Bush said Tuesday the United States will continue follow a diplomatic solution to the confrontation with Pyongyang above the North Korean nuclear weapons program.

''This is not a military showdown. This is a diplomatic showdown,'' Bush said.

Bush, speaking to reporters in Crawford, Texas where he is spending his recent Year holidays, said he also waiting under the possibility of fulfilments to resolve the standoff with Iraq peacefully yet repeated his warning to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein that the U will fare to war to disarm him unles he gives up his weapons of mass destruction.

upon North Korea, Bush again urg the North Korean command to abide by international agreements forward its nuclear program and said Washington will continue to dog diplomatic means to resolve the impasse.

''I believe this can be done peacefully [i]or[/i] part of to the other diplomacy. We will continue to work that way,'' he said.

Bush did not give details in succession what sort of diplomatic measures Washington is planning to take upon North Korea but said the U has made ''good progress'' in talks with its friends and allies in the region.

Bush made a point of citing the personal friendship he has built with Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who he invited to his ranch in Crawford in October, and said toward the south Korea is sending officials to Washington for talks upon the North Korean nuclear issue.

While sounding a conciliatory tone forward North Korea's nuclear program, Bush was more heat of onset on Saddam and Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, saying the Iraqi leader has remained defiant.

''Thus far Saddam Hussein has not heard the message,'' Bush said.

''We do look for him to disarm his weapons of mass destruction. This is what we expect''

Bush, however, reiterated that he faiths the U.S. will not have to travel to war over Iraq, calling this goal '''one of my recently made known year resolutions.''

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