Bush gives up on more Nato troops for Iraq

President George Bush said yesterday he expected no extra Nato troops to be sent to take the weight off stretched US forces in Iraq, but suggested that the alliance might help train Iraqi security forces, if the new sovereign government in Baghdad requested it.

President George Bush said yesterday he expected no extra Nato troops to be sent to take the weight off stretched US forces in Iraq, but suggested that the alliance might help train Iraqi security forces, if the new sovereign government in Baghdad requested it.

Speaking after what he termed a "very successful" summit of the G8, Mr Bush portrayed the leading powers as united in their goals for Iraq, after the deep divisions over the March 2003 invasion. But in practical terms his appeal that "the Iraqi people need help" drew little response. At an outwardly cordial bilateral session with Mr Bush yesterday, Jacques Chirac, the French President, re-iterated his opposition to further Nato involvement in Iraq, where 16 of the 25 alliance members are helping with the US-led coalition.

And though they both hailed the "new spirit of co-operation" between the fractious allies, Mr Bush and Tony Blair failed to persuade the G8 to forgive the bulk of Iraq's Saddam-era debt of some $120bn (£65bn).

Once again, M. Chirac led the opposition, arguing that the poorest countries of the world should be given at least equal treatment with oil-rich Iraq. The thorny issue has been handed off to finance ministers. The most likely option is that half the debt will be written off.

But at the lavish resort of Sea Island, 80 miles south of here, where the summit was held amid stifling security, last year's antagonists were on their best behaviour, with M. Chirac stressing how much he had enjoyed the food - if not the finer points of the policy debate.

"He particularly liked the cheeseburger he had yesterday," Mr Bush declared. Mr Chirac agreed: "It was excellent," his guest said. But optimistic US officials had to admit that as far as France and the US were concerned, the two were merely "moving cautiously in the same direction".

They claimed they heard "caution but not a firm 'no'" from France on the possible formal involvement of Nato in Iraq - hinting the White House is still hoping for some kind of deal in the fortnight before the Nato summit in Turkey later this month.

The main achievement was the so-called Broader Middle East initiative, described by Mr Bush as a "partnership to advance democracy and human dignity" in the Arab and Islamic world, between the G8 and countries in the region. But the text was heavily watered down after stinging initial criticism from the Arab world and some European countries.