Obama says war with North Korea not imminent

[July 07, 2009]  MOSCOW (AP) -- President Barack Obama says he doesn't think any war "is imminent" with North Korea.

Speaking in a network interview while meeting with Russian leaders, Obama was asked how precarious is the security situation in the wake of North Korea's nuclear tests and new sanctions as a result of them. In the CBS interview, he said, "I don't think that any war is imminent with North Korea." He also said, "I think they understand that they would be overwhelmed in a serious military conflict with the United States."

Obama said in a speech to The New Economic School that the United States and Russia "should be united" in resisting Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

In an ABC interview, he said, "We've already seen a ship of North Korea's turned back because of international effort to implement the sanctions, and I think that is a positive step forward."

[Associated Press]

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