US President George W Bush's "axis of evil" and 111 other countries thrashed out their stands o­n terrorism, Palestine and the crises in Iraq and North Korea at a conference here today.

Senior officials of the 114-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which embraces the three legs of Bush's notorious "axis" Iran, Iraq and North Korea were wrestling with issues such as the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter.

One thing they are all likely to agree o­n is strong opposition to a US-led war to disarm the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein without the support of the UN Security Council.

A draft statement o­n Iraq for adoption by heads of state at a summit next week says "we categorically reject the threats of unilateral use of force to resolve issues affecting international peace and security."

The statement welcomes Iraq's "cooperation" with UN weapons inspectors, noting that they have reported "significant progress".

The draft is still in its early stages, and a delegate's copy obtained by AFP is full of crossing out and additions, but o­ne sentence in the original states that a war against Iraq "will also adversely affect international efforts to combat international terrorism."