N. Korean missile test draws new attention to standoff

BANGKOK, Thailand -- President Bush on Monday pushed for Asian support on a new overture to peacefully end a North Korean nuclear standoff that has cast a shadow over the region for more than a year. A North Korean missile test added to the tensions.

The test firing came as 21 Asian-Pacific leaders prepared to announce a new crackdown on terrorists and a bid to restart stalled global trade liberalization talks.

North Korea was not on the agenda of the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, but Bush raised the issue in hopes of gaining support for a new proposal to end the crisis. U.S. officials worked behind the scenes to get a mention of the matter in the summit's final declaration.

Some participants complained that North Korea, Iraq and terrorism issues were stealing attention away from economic and trade issues the forum was designed to showcase. The test firing of the missile -- as APEC leaders were in their opening session -- kept security issues in the forefront and underscored worries about North Korea's intentions.

Senior administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they'd concluded that the missile test was a deliberately provocative action intended to grab attention.

The missile North Korea fired off its east coast was a short-range anti-ship missile and did not pose any dangers to other nations or to shipping, South Korean military officials said. They said the missile was fired as part of annual military exercises.

Earlier in the day, Bush met with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and cited "good progress" in winning support for a new diplomatic overture to North Korea.

They issued a joint statement calling for a quick resumption of six-nation talks on Pyong-yang's nuclear program, and urged the reclusive communist regime "to refrain from any action which would exacerbate the situation."

Security was tight. With helicopters hovering overhead, Bush and other heads of state rode to and from the summit on Bangkok streets that had been cleared of the city's normally heavy traffic.

Leaders spent most of their opening session Monday discussing ways to get the World Trade Organization to restart talks for a new global commerce deal following the collapse of negotiations last month in the Mexican resort of Cancun.

They pledged to intensify an effort to dismantle terror groups and be better prepared for any future outbreaks of SARS, other infectious diseases or bioterrorist attacks, according to a draft communique.

The Asia-Pacific leaders also agreed to do more to combat corruption and to "promote transparency" in public financial management.

Of the summit's expected vow to dismantle terror organizations, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a close U.S. ally in the war on terror, said he believes that action is more important than words.

"It's what you do that counts," he said.

For the American delegation, North Korea remained the most compelling issue.

"We have a common goal to make sure that the Korean Peninsula is nuclear weapons free," Bush told South Korea's Roh at their breakfast meeting. He broadcast the same message after meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao the day before.

Bush is promoting a plan in which five nations -- the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea -- would jointly give North Korea written assurances it wouldn't be attacked in exchange for its promise to dismantle its nuclear program. The proposal represents a shift for the Bush administration, which previously opposed any concessions to Pyongyang.

Roh supported and praised the U.S. efforts.

"This issue is very critical for ... the further progress of Korea," Roh said.

Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, told reporters there had not been any feedback yet -- either directly or indirectly -- from North Korea. Still, she said, "Whatever we come up with will be more enduring than what we've had in the past."

Secretary of State Colin Powell, in a speech to business leaders, gave no details on how the standoff might end but said "in the course of the next days and weeks we will be fleshing out these ideas with our partners ... and pursuing them with the North Koreans."

The nuclear dispute flared a year ago when U.S. officials said North Korea admitted running a secret nuclear program in violation of international agreements.

Bush and his advisers were also using the opportunity to lobby individual nations to contribute troops or money to help stabilize Iraq.

Administration officials on Monday endorsed the establishment of a World Bank run agency to oversee spending of Iraq reconstruction money, suggesting it would help overcome the reluctance of some nations to contribute.

"We think it will work just fine," said Rice. The national security adviser said the new international agency would not have any say over the spending of the $20.3 billion for Iraqi reconstruction that Bush requested from Congress -- and is about to get.

Meanwhile, Bush pulled Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad aside for a pointed rebuke of his recent, internationally condemned comment that Jews rule the world. Between APEC meetings, Bush told Mahathir, retiring at the end of the month after 22 years in power, the remarks were "wrong and divisive," Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said.