Powell Tours Southeast Asia

The United States is committed to keeping troops stationed in Asia to guard against nations that might have "aggressive intent," Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday.

As an example, Powell mentioned North Korea, a country that he said has been following an "incorrect path." The United States generally maintains about 100,000 troops in Asia, based both on land and at sea.

The forces, Powell said, help ensure stability in the region.

The assurances were made during an interview with a local television outlet as Powell neared the end of an 18-hour visit here.

After brief stops in Malaysia and Singapore, Powell will travel to Brunei on Tuesday, where more than a dozen Pacific rim foreign ministers are gathering.

North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun is expected to be among them. Pyongyang sent a message to the Bush administration late last week expressing interest in renewing long-stalled talks with the United States.

This has produced speculation that Powell or his top deputy for Asian affairs, James Kelly, may meet with Paek in Brunei. But U.S. officials said it was still unclear whether such a meeting would take place.

There have been no substantive discussions between the United States and North Korea since late in the Clinton administration.

Powell arrived here Sunday night after weekend visits to India and Pakistan. He is on a six-nation Southeast Asia tour, focusing mainly on expanding cooperation in the war against terrorism.

Diplomats meeting in Brunei have been working on agreements to curb financial transfers by terrorist groups and on expanding overall cooperation to deter terrorists.

They have been haggling for days over the wording of the latter agreement. Powell said he expected the differences to be overcome by the time of his arrival in Brunei.

He met in late morning with Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai. Afterward, Powell thanked Thailand for its cooperation in battling terrorists and for its plans to send an engineering brigade to Afghanistan before the end of the year.

Surakiart said he was pleased with the level of cooperation on terrorism with the United States. Later, Powell paid a Royal Palace visit on King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Thailand and the United States are longtime defense allies. A senior American official accompanying Powell noted the country has a strong record of ratifying U.N. counterterror treaties.