US President George W Bush on Friday suggested that the occupation of Iraq could last for more than two years.

"It could. Or less. Who knows? But the point we are making is that the foundation for democracy is being laid," he said in an interview to NBC Television network.

Regarding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, he said, "Perhaps he [deposed president Saddam Hussein] destroyed some; perhaps he dispersed some."

Asked by interviewer Tom Brokaw whether an Islamic government in Iraq would be acceptable to him, Bush replied: "What I would like to see is a government where church and state are separated... it must be a government that is going to represent all the people. And I believe that can happen."

The president said that the looting in Iraqi cities after the fall of the regime did not surprise him at all. "These were people that hated the regime under which they lived... These are people whose relatives were beaten, tortured, shocked, killed because they spoke out."

Bush made it clear that the US had no military plans against Iran or Syria, but he expected both to cooperate -- Iran by not sending agents into Iraq and Syria by not receiving members of the fallen regime.

On France's opposition to US action in Iraq, he hoped the tension would subside and that 'the French won't be using their position within Europe to create alliances against the US or Britain or Spain'.

On North Korea, Bush said the country had gone 'back to the old blackmail game'.

He said the US would continue to work with Japan, South Korea, China and others 'to say to the North Koreans and the world that we're not going to be threatened'.