WASHINGTON, Jan 26: US President George Bush on Wednesday scaled back his sweeping pledge last week to combat tyranny world wide, acknowledging that Washington would have to combine principle with pragmatism in its foreign policy.

Under persistent questioning about his inaugural address, which sent ripples around the world, Mr Bush made it clear that Washington would balance US interests and ideals in dealing with countries such as Russia, China and Saudi Arabia.

"I don't think foreign policy is an either/or proposition," the president told a White House news conference. "I think it is possible, when you're a nation like the United States, to be able to achieve both objectives - one objective the practical objective of dealing, for example, ... with North Korea," he said, referring to efforts to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear weapons ambitions.

Mr Bush's remarks contrasted with his speech last Thursday swearing to promote democracy across the globe and putting "every ruler and every nation" on notice that this would be a test of their relations with the United States.

The speech raised questions about whether Washington was shifting gears and would go after authoritarian but friendly regimes as well as foes after Mr Bush's first term, marked by terror strikes and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But Mr Bush, who last week linked his drive against tyranny with his war on terror, appeared to play down the practical impact of his lofty rhetoric, calling it a long-term goal and "the work of generations."

"There won't be instant democracy," he told reporters Wednesday. "I fully understand developing a democratic society and adhering to the traditions and customs of other nations will be a work in process."

Mr Bush also denied that his remarks represented any shift in policy for his second four-year term. "My inaugural address reflected the policies of the past four years that we're implementing in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said, describing his democracy campaign as "a bold new goal for the future."

"I think America is at its best when it leads toward an ideal. And certainly a world without tyranny is an ideal world. "And so in my talks, in my discussions with world leaders to solve the problem of the day, I will constantly remind them about our strong belief that democracy is the way forward."

Mr Bush insisted that he would continue to raise the issue with countries such as China and Russia. "In my meetings with Chinese leadership in the future, I will constantly remind them of the benefits of a society that honours their people and respects human rights and human dignity," the president said.

Referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Bush said: "I will remind him that if he intends to continue to look West, we in the West believe in Western values."

But Mr Bush ducked a question about a Jordanian man who was arrested after delivering an anti-American speech that was considered slanderous by officials in Amman.

The president pleaded ignorance of the case and praised Jordan's King Abdullah, saying: "I appreciate His Majesty's understanding of the need for democracy to advance in the greater Middle East."

Mr Bush reiterated that "not every nation is going to immediately adopt America's vision of democracy, and I fully understand that. "But we expect nations to adopt the values inherent in a democracy, which is human rights and human dignity, that every person matters and every person ought to have a voice. And His Majesty is making progress toward that goal." -AFP