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."