A state dinner last night for US President George W. Bush was scrapped after US and Chilean officials failed to agree on security measures at the presidential palace.

　　The decision came on Saturday night only hours after Bush intervened in a confrontation and pulled his lead Secret Service agent away from Chilean security officials who barred his bodyguards from entering a dinner for 21 Pacific Rim leaders.

　　Bush and Chilean leader Ricardo Lagos instead were to hold an informal working dinner last night following the close of the APEC summit, Chilean newspaper El Mercurio reported.

　　On saturday, several Chilean and American agents got into a pushing and shoving match outside the cultural center where the dinner was held.

　　The incident happened after Bush and his wife, Laura, posed for pictures with Ricardo Lagos and his wife, Luisa Duran.

　　As bush stepped inside, Chilean agents closed ranks at the door, blocking the president's agents from following. Bush noticed the fracas and turned back. He reached through the dispute and pulled his agent from the scrum and into the building.

　　(The Associated Press)