French Hold Up Weapons Deal

The US and Britain were last night battling to overcome French objections to win the support of the Group of Eight major industrialised states for an action plan to tighten the screws on terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.

President George Bush and Tony Blair were desperate for a convincing show of unity after their bruising diplomatic row with Russia, Germany and France over Iraq, and keen to unveil an agreed action plan today designed to underpin fragile global economic confidence and reinforce diplomatic cohesion in the west.

But the Washington-led initiative, which includes more stringent controls on civil radioactive material that could be diverted to make a nuclear "dirty bomb", was facing detailed opposition in Evian last night.

President Jacques Chirac, who exchanged a curt handshake with Mr Bush when the two men met for the first time since their fallout over Iraq, was resisting the White House's call for sweeping powers to allow ships to be intercepted on the high seas on suspicion that they were carrying weapons destined for terrorism.

For political reasons, the Elysée does not wish to be seen to dance to America's tune, but it also has reservations about US high-handedness which saw at least one abortive seizure off the Yemeni coast last year. The proposal to intercept ships is likely to be shelved for further discussion.

The German chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, who met Mr Bush in St Petersburg on Saturday, missed the opening exchanges between the world leaders because he was attending a crucial party conference in Berlin.

There are no plans for the German chancellor to have a bilateral meeting with the US president today.

Mr Chirac and Mr Bush and their aides have sent mixed signals in the past few days with the US president talking about the need to "work together" but also noting anti-French sentiment at home. Briefing the media, Mr Chirac coolly referred to Mr Bush as one of "several other" leaders he had met.

As usual, Mr Blair was caught in the middle. Flying from Russia to the Evian summit at the end of a tour which also included a visit to British troops in Basra in Iraq, he praised French initiatives on Africa and said that Mr Bush had also showed how he was reaching out - over the Palestinian question, Africa and the UN - and listening.

"The most important thing, particularly, after all the differences there have been over Iraq, is that the international community comes back together and sends a very clear signal" on weapons of mass destruction and terrorism.

"It will be the quality of the intent that is as important as anything else."

Tension was underlined by remarks by an unidentified senior US official on Mr Bush's plane that White House aides complain that France seemed more worried by US power than by Saddam Hussein's.

"The forces out there that want to destabilise, that want to engage in terrorism, build weapons of mass destruction would like nothing better than to have the western alliance ... in an internecine battle about whose power needs to be checked," the official said.

If endorsed by the eight leaders gathered in the security-drenched French spa town on Lake Geneva, the action plan will provide £460m over 10 years from a global partnership to help Russia deal with its legacy of nuclear waste and chemical weapons.

Former Soviet scientists, a tempting target for both "rogue states" and terrorist cells, would be helped to find alternative employment, and help would be provided to dismantle two ageing Russian nuclear submarines.

Assistance to President Vladimir Putin, would be extended to the destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles and the making safe of spent nuclear fuel. The move signals growing concern about further nuclear proliferation.

Much of today's expected statement, being finalised as the leaders and their guests dined and discussed the crisis in Africa, stems directly from last year's G8 summit in the Canadian Rockies and contains a high level of diplomatic feelgood to reassure voters and consumers whose confidence is urgently needed to stave off recession.

But development charities claimed that development issues were falling off the agenda as a result of the focus on fighting terrorism and rogue states.

"The G8 is more likely to find weapons of mass destruction than it is to do anything for Africa," one source said last night in a reference to the failure of the US and Britain to unearth any of President Saddam's biological, chemical or nuclear armoury.

As part of the package the G8 will endorse stronger security measures in the stricken aviation industry, which has been left reeling by September 11 and other events, including the Sars outbreak across Asia.

Shipping containers will also get closer attention, including renewed efforts to curb the illegal traffic in small arms and light weapons.

Biometric checks, which include the use of irises and fingerprints on computer-readable ID cards or passports, will also receive the summit's endorsement.