G8 looks at Iran, N Korea

One down, two to go? Leaders of the G8 powerful nations declared the rift over Iraq history, but turned their sights on Iran and North Korea, warning them not to develop weapons of mass destruction.

By the time the summit ended Tuesday, some of the leaders were rattled over whether a joint declaration started the war drums beating against the other two nations on US President George W. Bush's "axis of evil," following the same pattern that launched the war against Iraq.

One official in Washington said yes, the leaders of other G8 countries said no.

The US official insisted the declaration by the G8, which discussed possible "other measures" against states developing weapons of mass destruction, was code for force.

The G8 leaders, from war opponents French President Jacques Chirac and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien to pro-war Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, insisted force was never discussed.

Chretien said North Korea, which has said it already has nuclear weapons and plans to build more, was uppermost in the leaders' minds. But the leaders had not resolved how to proceed.

"Unlike Iraq, we agreed that the North Korean issue must be resolved in a peaceful, diplomatic manner," Japanese President Junichuro Koizumi told a press conference.

On Iran, the steps are clearer. G8 leaders want Iran to sign an International Atomic Energy Agency protocol allowing inspections of all suspected nuclear sites at any time.

Iran has been the most contentious issue between Washington and Moscow recently.

The US has accused Russia of furthering Iran's nuclear ambitions and failing to squelch North Korea's. Moscow denies both charges.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would continue its cooperation with Iran, where it has a lucrative US$800 million project to complete the Bushehr nuclear power plant.