Amid mounting pressure from the United States to agree to bin the 1972 arms control accord, he also said "full-fledged" negotiations on the matter would begin at a November 12-14 summit in Washington and at Bush's Texas ranch.

"We must truly and finally move beyond the Cold War," and defend against "new threats," Bush insisted during a joint press conference after their first meeting since the September 11 terror strikes on the United States.

Putin reiterated that he viewed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty as "an important element of stability in the world" but acknowledged the need to face "possible threats in the future and we are prepared to discuss that".

The Russian leader also renewed his strong support for the US-led global war on terror and explicitly for military strikes on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, who have refused to hand over suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

"His action was measured and adequate to the threat," said Putin, who said the campaign "should be completed, because, otherwise, terrorists might have an impression that they are not vulnerable."

Still, the Russian leader expressed skepticism of Bush's view that last month's attacks "make it clearer than ever that a Cold War ABM treaty that prevents us from defending our people is outdated and, I believe, dangerous".

"It would be difficult for me to agree that some terrorists will be able to capture intercontinental missiles and will be able to use them," said Putin, who held out hope of reaching a deal in November at their fourth meeting.

"I believe we do have understanding that we can reach agreement, taking into account national interests of Russia, United States, and take into account the necessity to strengthen international stability," he said.

"We discussed significantly lowering offensive nuclear weapon arsenals within a framework that includes limited defenses, defenses that are able to protect both our lands from political blackmail, from potential terrorist attack," the US president said after the 90-minute exchange.

The two leaders, who agreed to link mutual arms reductions to the debate over the ABM treaty at their second meeting after a July Group of Eight summit in Italy, did not elaborate what progress they had made.

Bush's national security advisor, Condoleezza Rice, said Bush had not discussed figures for the cuts or a deadline by which Washington would give the six months' notice required to withdraw from the accord.

"We've got work to do between now and Crawford (Texas, site of Bush's ranch). And I look forward to continuing to work with him," said Bush.

US officials have repeatedly said that efforts to test and develop a missile shield to blunt threats from so-called "rogue nations" like Iraq or North Korea will run afoul of the ABM treaty in "months, not years."

"It's going to be time to move on fairly soon," said Rice. "We're not going to permit a program of testing and development to be constrained by a treaty that we think is outmoded."

She also said that Bush had renewed support for Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization "once Russia is able to meet the terms that are necessary to be a functioning member".

Rice said that Bush and Putin had "a candid dialogue" about other divisive issues, such as Washington's criticisms of Russia's records on arms proliferation and treatment of the media, as well as Moscow's bloody campaign in Chechnya and ties with Georgia.

Bush said that, while the war on terror is important, it "should not be used as an excuse to repress minorities" and that it was "extemely important ... to respect the territorial integrity of Georgia."

Meanwhile, in earlier background spin ahead of Bush's meeting with Putin, a top US official said,...

US President George W. Bush (L) listens to President of Russia Vladimir Putin (R) at their joint press conference following the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting 21 October 2001 in Shanghai, China. US President George W. Bush is heading back to Washington DC after attending his first APEC meeting. Photo by Tim Sloan - Copyright AFP 2001

Bush may warn Putin on ABM withdrawal
SHANGHAI, Oct 21 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush may warn Russian President Vladimir Putin Sunday that Washington will serve notice this year on withdrawing from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in order to push ahead with a missile shield, a top US official said.

"I don't want to say exactly what the president will tell President Putin because I don't know exactly how he'll put it, but that is the general idea," said the official, who requested anonymity.

"We've always said that we want to do a deal with you but at some point we're going to have to tell you that we're going to bump up against the treaty and that means we'll have to withdraw," the official said.

The comments came as the two leaders opened a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Russia opposes the missile shield plan, as well as abrogating the treaty, which requires parties to give six months' notice of intent to withdraw.

The 1972 US-Soviet accord, the cornerstone of Cold War arms control, prohibits the sort of missile shield Bush says he wants to deploy to blunt threats from so-called "rogue states" like Iraq or North Korea.

US officials have dismissed the treaty as a Cold War relic and have long said they are forging ahead with research into such a defense system, which may test the limits of the treaty in "months, not years".

A second US official, who also declined to be named, said Bush planned to reiterate those points to Putin but "won't give a specific date" by which Washington will announce its plans to withdraw.

The US leader himself, on October 11 at a press conference, said that the September 11 terror strikes on New York and Washington using hijacked airliners effectively as guided missiles strengthened the case for his controverial plan.

Bush told reporters he planned to tell Putin that "the ABM Treaty is outdated, antiquated and useless. And I hope that he will join us in a new strategic relationship".

"The Cold War is over, it's done with, and that there are new threats that we face; and no better example of that new threat than the attack on America on September 11," he said.

"I'm going to ask my friend to envision a world in which a terrorist thug and/or a host nation might have the ability to develop -- to deliver a weapon of mass destruction via a -- via rocket. And wouldn't it be in our nations' advantage to be able to shoot it down?

"At the very least, it should be in our nation's advantage to determine whether we can shoot it down. And we're restricted from doing that because of an ABM Treaty that was signed during a totally different era," said Bush.

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