Bush and Blair's chat caught by microphone [video report]

George W. Bush (L) speaks privately to Tony Blair during lunch at the Group of Eight (G8) summit in St. Petersburg. Picture / Reuters

ST PETERSBURG, Russia - A microphone has picked up an unaware US President George Bush saying Syria should press Hizbollah to "stop doing this shit" as he and Tony Blair discussed the upsurge in violence in the Middle East.

Bush, who also mentioned a sweater Blair had given him, was talking privately to the British PM during a lunch at the Group of Eight summit in St Petersburg.

Neither immediately realised a microphone was transmitting their candid thoughts.

>> Read the full transcript of Bush and Blair's chat
>> Watch video of the conversation

"I think Condi (Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice) is going to go (to the Middle East) pretty soon," Bush said.

Blair replied: "Right, that's all that matters, it will take some time to get that together."

Blair added: "See, if she (Rice) goes out she's got to succeed as it were, where as I can just go out and talk."

Bush replied: "See, the irony is what they need to do is get Syria to get Hizbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over."

While his language was salty, the message from Bush was what it had been throughout the summit - that Syria is supporting Hizbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon and should force them to stop shelling Israel and return abducted Israeli soldiers.

Bush also seemed to complain about UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan wanting an immediate cease-fire to stop the violence between Israel and Hizbollah.

"I don't like the sequence of it," Bush said. "His attitude is basically cease-fire and everything else happens."

Blair said: "I think the thing that is really difficult is you can't stop this unless you get this international presence agreed."

Nice sweater

The two leaders also appeared to chat about the stalled Doha Round of world trade talks.

"I just want some movement," Bush said, to which Blair replied: "It may be that it's impossible." Later, plans were announced for ministers from six key trade powers to meet in Geneva from Monday to try to unblock the talks.

Ultimately Blair noticed the microphone and hastily switched it off, but not before the recording had reached news media.

In the chummy conversation between long-time allies, Bush teased the British leader about a sweater Blair had apparently given him.

"Thanks for the sweater, it was awfully thoughtful of you. I know you picked it out yourself," Bush said.

"Oh, absolutely," said Blair.

Bush also said that when he next spoke to G8 leaders, he would keep it brief. "I'm not going to talk too long like the rest of them. Some of these guys talk too long. Gotta go home. Got something to do tonight," he said.

- REUTERS