EU and Asian leaders were expected to call for U.N. approval of any military actions against Iraq, at a two-day summit starting yesterday in the Danish capital.

　　In a draft statement, the 25 leaders said terrorism posed a threat to global peace and security, but added that the fight against that threat "must be based on the leading role of the United Nations and the principles of the U.N. Charter."

　　The draft text appeared to address the standoff over Iraq, but it did not name any country.

　　Washington has said it could take unilateral military action against Iraq if the U.N. Security Council cannot produce a new resolution giving Iraq a short deadline to comply with U.N. demandson allowing in weapons inspectors.

　　While support for any U.S.-led attack is growing in Europe, Asian nations tend to oppose that or are more hesitant about ousting Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein without a U.N. mandate.

　　Fogh Rasmussen, whose country holds the EU presidency, made it clear that he considers the Iraqi regime "a threat to its own people, its neighbors, to world peace and security."

　　Speaking to reporters, he said there was no doubt in his mind that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein "can produce weapons of mass destruction."

　　But, he added, any U.S.-led attack against Iraq should been dorsed by the Security Council.

　　The meeting, the fourth since 1996, draws leaders from the 15 EU nations, Japan, China, South Korea and seven members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

　　They were expected to call for increased efforts in fighting terrorism, promoting disarmament and nonproliferation, and more police cooperation to combat crime rings linked to terrorist cellsand to fight money laundering, human trafficking, arms smuggling and illicit drugs.