Richard Armitage, U.S. deputy secretary of state, said Wednesday that the United States will keep its option of launching a military strike against Iraq but will consult closely with Japan and other allies before making a decision.
During talks with Vice Foreign Minister Yukio Takeuchi in Tokyo, Armitage stressed the importance of Iraq accepting U.N. inspections into its alleged production of weapons of mass destruction, according to a Foreign Ministry official.
The official quoted Armitage as saying that if Iraq continues refusing the inspections, Washington "does not exclude any option."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.