Visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Tuesday that Washington intends to stay in touch with Tokyo regarding any plan to attack Iraq.

In talks with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, Armitage said the United States has not yet decided what to do with Iraq, according to a Japanese government official who briefed reporters.

The official added that the U.S. side made no specific requests of the Japanese government regarding policies on Iraq.

During a separate meeting with the secretaries general of the three ruling parties, Armitage said he wants Japan to consider how it can help U.S. efforts to eradicate terrorism, ruling party lawmakers said.

Armitage told Taku Yamasaki of the Liberal Democratic Party, Tetsuzo Fuyushiba of New Komeito and Toshihiro Nikai of the New Conservative Party that the U.S. has not yet decided on an action plan concerning Iraq and does not plan to ask Japan for specific help at this stage.

He said, however, that as Japan has suffered terrorist attacks at the hands of a religious cult, he wants Tokyo to discuss how it can help antiterrorism efforts once a decision has been made.

In this regard, Armitage was referring to the deadly sarin nerve gas attacks carried out by members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult in 1994 and 1995.

During a separate meeting with Defense Agency Director General Gen Nakatani, Armitage said he believes the ongoing military campaign against terrorism will take some time, agency officials said.

Nakatani told Armitage that Japan will continue to support the military campaign against terrorism as long as it is executed within the bounds of Japanese antiterrorism law, which allows the Self-Defense Forces to give U.S.-led forces only logistic support.

The officials also quoted Armitage as saying that close consultation with and the understanding of its allies will be necessary to strike Iraq.

On tensions between India and Pakistan, Armitage was quoted as telling Fukuda that the international community should keep a close watch on the situation, although tensions have recently eased.

Armitage is on the last leg of a five-nation tour of Asia that has taken him through Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and China.