NEWS.com.au | Bombers cover N Korea (March 06, 2003)

NEWS.com.au | Bombers cover N Korea (March 06, 2003) THE US is moving two dozen heavy bombers to within striking distance of North Korea, as George W. Bush has for the first time explicitly canvassed military action to resolve the row over Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons.

News of the deployment of heavy US firepower to Guam came as Washington deplored North Korea's "reckless and provocative" use of four fighter jets to harass and target a US spy plane over the Sea of Japan at the weekend.

And in a significant ratcheting-up of Washington's rhetoric, Mr Bush said that although he believed there would be a diplomatic solution to the row: "If they don't work diplomatically, they'll have to work militarily."

"Military option is our last choice," Mr Bush told provincial US newspaper reporters this week.

"Options are on the table, but I believe we can deal with this diplomatically, I truly do."