The White House says President Bush did not intend to signal imminent military action against Iran, Iraq and North Korea when he said they form an "axis of evil" that sponsors terrorism and seeks weapons of mass destruction.

The president made the comment in his State of the Union speech Tuesday. On Wednesday, U.S. officials said Washington is still open to talks with Iran and North Korea, despite Mr. Bush's warning that they could be targets in the war on terrorism.

State Department officials said there will be no dialogue with Iraq until it accepts the return of United Nations arms inspectors.

Iran and Iraq have angrily rejected Mr. Bush's comments, calling them baseless and indecent. A report carried by the French News Agency Thursday quotes North Korea's official news agency condemning the Bush comment as "U.S. aggression" to justify the presence of American troops in South Korea.

Wednesday, President Bush began a tour of southeastern states to push his agenda in the war on terrorism, security and economic recovery. In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he urged Americans to become volunteers in efforts to make their communities more secure.

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