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War with North Korea not inevitable: Australian PM
Sydney, July 13: War with North Korea to stop its nuclear weapons programme is not inevitable, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said today before leaving on an Asian trip that would focus on the North Korean nuclear crisis.
Sydney, July 13: War with North Korea to stop its nuclear weapons programme is not inevitable, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said today before leaving on an Asian
trip that would focus on the North Korean nuclear crisis.
Howard, who is meeting leaders of the Philippines, Japan and South Korea for talks this week, said Australia and the international community had to work hard to ensure war was not the solution to bringing rogue state into line with international laws.
But he said North Korea had to realise the world's concerns would not disappear. "You never rule out the possibility of diplomatic actions working, and it is infinitely preferable to military involvement," he told a television channel.
"I don't think military action is inevitable, of course not, and we have to work very hard to stop it occurring," said Howard.
"But at the same time we have to communicate to the North Koreans that the world's concerns are not going to disappear unless and until there's a proper response by North Korea to those concerns," said the PM. Australia has committed its military, police and intelligence services to participation in maritime exercises probably starting in September as part of a US-led 11-nation alliance aimed at stopping the trade in illicit arms and drugs principally by North Korea.
The impoverished stalinist state is strongly suspected of being the leading trafficker in missiles, nuclear materials and drugs to try to rescue its failed economy. Bureau Report
But he said North Korea had to realise the world's concerns would not disappear. "You never rule out the possibility of diplomatic actions working, and it is infinitely preferable to military involvement," he told a television channel.
"I don't think military action is inevitable, of course not, and we have to work very hard to stop it occurring," said Howard.
"But at the same time we have to communicate to the North Koreans that the world's concerns are not going to disappear unless and until there's a proper response by North Korea to those concerns," said the PM. Australia has committed its military, police and intelligence services to participation in maritime exercises probably starting in September as part of a US-led 11-nation alliance aimed at stopping the trade in illicit arms and drugs principally by North Korea.
The impoverished stalinist state is strongly suspected of being the leading trafficker in missiles, nuclear materials and drugs to try to rescue its failed economy. Bureau Report