Terrorism moves to front of agenda

GLENEAGLES, Scotland -- The deadly subway and bus attacks in London yesterday abruptly took over the agenda of the annual meeting of the world's wealthiest nations, and world leaders rallied behind Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain in resolving to defeat terrorists.

The Group of Eight summit briefly recessed so leaders could gather information on the attacks. Leaders also postponed until today planned declarations on climate change and the global economy.

The Washington Post reported that the world's eight major industrial nations have agreed to take immediate steps to curb global warming, though they will not set concrete heat-trapping gas reductions or specify how much money they will spend on the effort.

The leaders' joint statement, which was obtained by the Post and will be released today, represents a qualified political victory for the White House. Bush officials successfully resisted calls from their European and Japanese allies to adopt a more ambitious framework for addressing climate change, while foreign leaders managed to include a limited endorsement of mandatory carbon-emissions cuts and language linking global warming to human activity.

The two-page document, a drastically slimmed-down version of earlier G-8 drafts, states that while some uncertainties about climate change remain, ''we know enough to act now and to put ourselves on a path to slow, and, as science justifies, stop and then reverse the growth of greenhouse gases." It also suggests ''human activities contribute in large part to increases in greenhouse gases associated with the warming of our earth surface," and says all the countries that have pledged to bring greenhouse gases down to 1990 levels by 2012 as part of the Kyoto Protocol ''welcome its entry into force and will work to make it a success."

Every G-8 member except for the United States -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia -- has ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

US officials managed to excise text that called for ''ambitious" greenhouse gas reductions and committed G-8 countries to spending a specific amount on environmentally friendly projects, according to the Post. They eliminated the opening sentence, ''Our world is warming," as well as lengthy descriptions of how melting glaciers and rising sea levels testify to recent climate change.

Blair, the summit host, rushed home to tend to the crisis. He returned hours later, in time for a working dinner and today's concluding session.

''We will not allow violence to change our societies or our values nor will we allow it to stop the work of this summit," Blair said after the attacks. The flags of all nations at the summit were lowered to half-staff.

President Bush told reporters on the lawn of the Gleneagles Hotel: ''The war on terror goes on."

Bush said the resolve of other summit partners in fighting terrorism ''is as strong as my resolve. We will not yield to these people, will not yield to the terrorists."

The G-8 leaders, many of whom had differed sharply with Bush and Blair over the war in Iraq, pledged solidarity.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany called the bombings ''perfidious attacks." Said President Jacques Chirac of France: ''This scorn for human life is something we must fight with ever greater firmness."

Blair and other leaders said it was clear the morning rush-hour attacks that killed dozens and wounded hundreds were timed to coincide with the opening business session of the summit.

In a statement on behalf of all 13 participants -- the United States, Britain, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and Russia, plus the leaders of China, India, Mexico, Brazil, and South Africa -- Blair said the attacks were ''not an attack on one nation but on all nations and on civilized people everywhere."

Events in London quickly overshadowed debate on the summit's two major issues: global warming and increased aid to Africa.