Bush rejects critics of NKorea policy

WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) President George W Bush vowed today to find a diplomatic solution to Pyongyang's nuclear challenge and rejected Democrats' election-season criticism that he bungled North Korean policy.

At an hour-long news conference, Bush also left open the military option in the event of aggression by Pyongyang against Japan or South Korea.

Democrats seeking to overturn Republicans control of the US Congress in November 7 elections said North Korea's claim to have tested a nuclear device this week proved Bush's policy had failed because he was distracted by Iraq and refused to engage in direct talks with Pyongyang.

Bush said, however, that direct talks failed in the past, citing the Clinton administration's 1994 agreement with North Korea that Pyongyang violated, and defended the six-party talks in which the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia deal jointly with North Korea.

The six-party talks have been stalled for nearly a year but the United States sees the current crisis as stiffening the resolve of China, South Korea and Japan to put pressure on North Korea to restart them.

''I can remember the time when it was said that, 'The Bush administration goes it alone too often in the world,' which I always thought was a bogus claim to begin with. And now all of a sudden, people are saying, you know, 'The Bush administration ought to be going it alone with North Korea,''' Bush said.

He added: ''In order to solve this diplomatically, the United States and our partners must have a strong diplomatic hand. And you have a better diplomatic hand with others, sending the message, than you do when you're alone.'' Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said Bush was in a ''state of denial'' about North Korea.

''His policy in North Korea allowed that country to develop and test nuclear weapons,'' he said.

A PEACEFUL OUTCOME Said Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean: ''North Korea has increased its nuclear capabilities by 400 percent and tested a nuclear weapon because the Bush administration took its eye off the ball.'' Bush repeatedly sought to reassure North Korea that he wants a peaceful outcome and that the United States has no intention of invading the communist state after it said it successfully conducted a nuclear test.

''We won't attack North Korea,'' Bush said.

But Bush reiterated that the United States will honor its security agreements with Asian allies, including South Korea and Japan. Washington, he said, ''reserves all options to defend our friends and our interests in the region against the threats from North Korea.'' The United States ''will increase defense cooperation with our allies, including cooperation on ballistic missile defense to protect against North Korean aggression, and cooperation to prevent North Korea from exporting nuclear and missile technologies,'' the president said.

He insisted again it was unacceptable for North Korea to have a nuclear weapon and said he wanted to prevent Pyongyang from exported a weapon to enemy nations or militant groups like al Qaeda.

UN Security Council members were negotiating a resolution this week that would impose an arms embargo and some financial sanctions on North Korea in response to the test.

Bush said a UN resolution should specify measures to prevent North Korea from exporting nuclear or missile technologies and prevent financial transactions that would help North Korea develop nuclear missile capabilities.

''In response to North Korea's actions we're working with our partners in the region and the United Nations Security Council to ensure there are serious repercussions for the regime in Pyongyang,'' he said.

US intelligence officials are still trying to determine whether North Korea did in fact detonate a nuclear weapon, a task proving difficult because of the relatively small yield of the underground blast.

REUTERS DH RAI0025