Washington, Jan 19: In a new dimension to American strategies, the US has said it is keeping all options open in dealing with North Korea's ambitious nuclear programme even as it mooted immunity for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from possible war crime charges if he were to step down and accept exile. "All options are still on the table with North Korea," defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, adding that did not mean that the US or South Korea would not retaliate if attacked.
"The President," said Rumsfeld, "has said correctly that we have no plan to invade North Korea. But does it mean that the United States or South Korea would take an attack from North Korea and not respond? of course not," Rumsfeld said on the "Fox News Sunday"
North Korea has rejected all international diplomatic efforts aimed at ending its nuclear weapons programme, saying it would negotiate only with the United States.
In the strongest public backing of the exile and amnesty plan to date for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, the defence secretary said he would back giving Iraqi leaders immunity from possible war crimes charges if they would step down and accept exile to avert a US-led war.
"To avoid a war I would personally recommend that some provision be made so that the senior leadership and their families could be provided haven in some other country," Rumsfeld said on ABC television's "This Week" programme.
"I think that that would be a fair trade to avoid a war." Bureau Report