Clinton asks religious leaders to aid poor nations

WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - President Bill Clinton urged American religious leaders on Thursday to do what they could to get more U.S. money to help poorer countries with debt relief, disease control and improving education.

In a speech at the White House prayer breakfast, Clinton urged the leaders to lobby Congress for more funds, saying it was America's responsibility to help other nations.

"As Americans, we have, I think, a truly unique opportunity and a very profound responsibility to do something now on debt relief, disease and education beyond our borders," Clinton told about 120 religious leaders in the State Dining Room.

Clinton, who in the past has used the prayer breakfast to apologise for his relationship with former intern Monica Lewinsky, focused on problems in the developing countries in his last address before the annual gathering.

"We have reaped great benefits from the information revolution and the globalization of the economy," he said. "We, therefore, have great responsibilities. We have responsibilities to put a human face on the global economy."

Clinton said the United States had a "very heavy" responsibility to broaden and simplify debt relief.

The Group of Seven leading industrialised countries agreed at their annual summit in July to breathe life into a stalled initiative to reduce the debts of the world's poorest nations. Clinton said 10 nations so far have qualified for the debt relief and he thought 10 more would do so by the end of the year.

"We've got to make sure the money is there for them," he said. "And I would just implore you (to do) anything you can do to urge members of both parties to make this a high priority."

Clinton also said the United States should lead the assault on global diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria that are responsible for a quarter of the deaths worldwide each year.

He said he had proposed a tax credit, more money to help buy medicines and $100 million more to help poorer countries fight AIDS.

"I want to ask you to help me get that money. It ought to be an American obligation. This is a serious global problem," the president said.

On the education front, Clinton said his administration was working on a programme to offer at least one meal a day to children in the poorest countries to get more children to attend school.

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