Iran, Syria among topics for G-8 and NATO

President Barack Obama and leaders of other major industrial powers stepped outside discussions of European economic woes and Afghanistan that will dominate a long weekend of summitry for a look Friday at options to solidify world resolve against development of an Iranian nuclear bomb and encourage a more forceful response to worsening violence in Syria.     

Obama will have the ear of key players on both issues during back-to-back G-8 and NATO summits. Discussion will be aimed directly and indirectly at Russia, a sometime protector of both Iran and Syria and the chief blockade to such U.S. goals as an arms embargo on Syria.     

The gatherings come in the shadow of the eurozone debt crisis and plummeting public support for the war in Afghanistan. Political and economic chaos in Greece and Spain underscored just how fragile Europe's economy remains after an eviscerating austerity regime. Germany's finance minister predicted Friday that the crisis could last up to another two years.     

German Chanceller Angela Merkel will face a push from Obama and new French President Francois Hollande for more measures aimed at spurring economic growth. Merkel has pushed for countries to cut their budget deficits to stop piling up added debt. But steep cutbacks in government spending have stalled the economy in the 17 countries that use the euro.     

Obama's re-election campaign could be complicated by more economic deterioration in Europe, a key U.S. trade partner, or by financial chaos if heavily indebted Greece winds up leaving the euro currency.     

Obama said managing the fiscal crisis in Europe must be coupled with a "strong growth agenda."  Hollande won election May 6 urging growth measures be added to a European treaty aimed at restricting spending.     

Growth steps could include letting Spain and other countries slow its their efforts to cut deficits or more flexible use of unspent EU infrastructure funds.     

Hollande said that it would be "useful" for Spain to recapitalize its shaky banks using "the mechanisms of European solidarity." Europe's bailout fund can lend governments money to bail out banks. Spain's banks are believed to harbor large losses from a collapsed real estate boom, losses which could burden government finances if it comes to bailouts.     

Most of the leaders are part of overlapping international coalitions formed to address the Iranian nuclear problem and the newer crisis in Syria, where an estimated 9,000 people have died in more than a year of violence that arose from the pro-democracy Arab uprisings.     

The United States wants to avoid escalating a confrontation with Moscow over Syria, the official said, but wants Medvedev to hear the depth of international outrage. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal diplomacy.     

Russia is a partner with the United States and European nations in containing Iran's nuclear program, although with China it has blocked the most severe penalties the United Nations Security Council might impose. A U.N.-affiliated negotiating group including Russia will meet with Iranian officials next week in Baghdad, Iraq.     

The G-8 gathering is expected to produce a statement by the leaders on Iran, which would reinforce the diplomatic effort to prevent Iran's nuclear work from progressing to the point of a bomb. Iran denies it is seeking a bomb. A possible deal could allow Iran to enrich uranium at a lower level than needed to build weapons, with sanctions easing as Iran shows it is scaling back more troublesome work.     

AP