Security tops Bush agenda for Apec

By STEVE HOLLAND in Washington

United States President George W. Bush goes to Asia this week to seek solidarity from Asian leaders in the war on terrorism and in the drive to deprive North Korea of nuclear weapons and bring stability to postwar Iraq.

He leaves today for California, where he will meet Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger, then flies to Japan tomorrow with visits to the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia before returning home on October 24.

It will be one of the longer trips of Bush's presidency and comes when he has been under fire at home for the chaotic situation in postwar Iraq and the failure to gain much international support for his policy.

His national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, said Bush would not go to Asia with his hand out for Iraq contributions before a Madrid donors' conference, but would raise the subject with his colleagues at a time Japan and South Korea were considering sending troops, money or both.

"This isn't an effort for the President to go out and make on his own behalf specific requests for troops or for money," said Rice.

"He will undoubtedly remind people that we have a donors' conference coming up and that we would hope people would be generous."

The big event for Bush will be his attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Bangkok, where he will urge Asian leaders to make a concerted effort against Muslim militants.

The issue so far has been handled on a bilateral basis, with the US co-operating with the Philippines and Indonesia as they try to stamp out militant groups.

Rice said Bush wanted to raise counter-terrorism to the summit level on a par with economic matters in order to give it multilateral force. He would discuss with leaders practical ways to enhance counter-terrorism.

"While Apec is an economic forum, economics and security are inextricably linked," Rice said.

"You only have to look at what happened in a place like Bali, when you had the terrorist attack there.

"You can see that the economy and terrorism are linked. This is a region with a lot of challenges and it will be a major issue."

Bush will make a brief visit to Bali, little more than a year after 202 people were killed when Muslim militants blew up two nightclubs crowded with foreign tourists.

He will have lunch with President Megawati Sukarnoputri and meet moderate Muslim leaders to pay tribute to the tradition of religious tolerance in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

At Apec, Bush will discuss efforts to force North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. A separate summit statement on North Korea is doubtful.

Rice said the need for a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula was likely to be included in the overall summit communique.

She said Bush would insist Japan remain in six-party talks over North Korea.

Pyongyang wants the Japanese out, saying Tokyo is not qualified to attend future negotiations.

Bush will meet South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun in Bangkok but will steer clear of South Korea's domestic politics.

- REUTERS