BEIJING – The IOC will review plans for the remainder of the Beijing Olympic torch relay and consider scrapping the international portion of the event for future Games.

International Olympic Committee officials expressed deep concern Tuesday about the disruption caused by anti-Chinese protests during the relay in Paris and London and braced for more potential trouble during Wednesday's leg through San Francisco.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said the committee's executive board would discuss the future of the Beijing relay on Friday. He did not rule out the option of suspending or scrapping part of the relay, although most Olympic officials are opposed to such a move and Beijing organizers have vowed to go to the end.

"This is something that obviously has to be discussed by the executive board," Rogge said.

Asked whether the continuation of the international relay was certain, he said: "I'm not saying whether it is certain or not. There will be a discussion of the executive board on the torch relay but I attach on that absolutely no speculation whatsoever."

Eliminating the international leg of the relay at future Games could affect the torch route for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

Patrick Hickey, an Irish IOC member who heads the European Olympic Committees, said there was widespread consensus that future torch relays should be limited to the national territory of the host country.

Gilbert Felli, the IOC's executive director for the Olympic Games, confirmed the committee would reassess its policy for future relays.

The route for the 2010 Games has not been announced and organizers of the 2012 London Olympics said they have made no decision yet on their torch relay route.

IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said there were no plans for cancelling the rest of the current relay, which has been the magnet for protests since the flame embarked on its 136,000-kilometre journey from Ancient Olympia in Greece to the Aug. 8-24 Beijing Olympics.

"As we speak today, the IOC expects the relay to follow its course as planned and there has been no official discussion to the contrary," Davies said.

The torch relay has been disrupted in Greece, Istanbul, London and Paris by protesters opposed to China's policies in Tibet and overall human rights record. The chaos has tarnished China's image and spoiled an event which was supposed to symbolize Olympic values of unity and harmony.

"I'm definitely concerned about what has happened in London and in Paris," Rogge said. "I'm deeply saddened by the fact that such an important symbol has been attacked. We recognize the right for people to protest and express their views but it should be non-violent. We are very sad for all the athletes and the people who expected so much from the run and have been spoiled of their joy."

On Monday, Olympic organizers cancelled the final leg of the Paris run after demonstrators scaled the Eiffel Tower, grabbed for the flame and forced security officials to repeatedly snuff out the torch and transport it by bus past demonstrators. China condemned the protests as "despicable" but vowed to continue the relay to the end.

In San Francisco, three activists climbed the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday and tied the Tibetan flag and two banners to its cables. A series of demonstrations were planned before the relay Wednesday. A rival torch relay supporting the Tibetan movement was scheduled to take place Tuesday.

The torch will not travel to Canada with San Francisco the only North American stop on its tour.

After San Francisco, the torch is scheduled to travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and then to a dozen other countries. It is scheduled to enter mainland China on May 4 for the host country's portion of the relay. A potential flashpoint is the scheduled relay leg through Tibet in May.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu criticized protesters who use the torch relay to "put on a political show."

"We would also like to warn those organization and forces who attempt to disrupt the Olympic Games, they try to tarnish the image of China and pressurize China," he said. "Their attempts are not going to prevail."

IOC vice-presidents Gunilla Lindberg and Thomas Bach suggested the option of halting the relay would need to be discussed – particularly if there are major disturbances in San Francisco.

"Now it's come to the stage that violent people are coming in," Lindberg said. "It has nothing to do with nice demonstrations. We have to consider it."

But the widespread view among Olympic officials and IOC members was that the relay should not be stopped.

"I think that would be tantamount to giving into terrorism," Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates said.

Added senior Australian IOC member Kevan Gosper: "It would be a retreat and it would admit defeat. We're now committed with the Beijing organizing committee and we should see it through."

IOC executive board member and marketing chief Gerhard Heiberg said he was in touch with the torch relay sponsors – Coca-Cola, Samsung and Lenovo.

"They are worried, we are all worried," he said. "I think it's very sad. I was hoping we could avoid this. We haven't avoided it. I think it gives us a lesson for the future, that international torch relays should be discussed, whether we should do it or not."

The IOC has dismissed any talk of countries boycotting the Beijing Games, though some politicians say they may snub the opening ceremony to protest China's policies.

"I think it's a shame that politicians use athletes as a tool for their own actual mistakes," Lindberg said. "They have not been able to solve the situation (in China) for the past 50 years or whatever."

"The politicians who cry boycott have been here five minutes before doing trade deals, selling products, buying products," Gosper said. "It's hypocritical on their part."

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