US President George W. Bush proposed a NATO role for Iraq at the G8 summit today but the main opponent of the war, French President Jacques Chirac, said the alliance had no role there.
Fresh from gaining passage of a UN resolution on Iraq, Mr Bush and his closest Iraq war ally, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, discussed possible NATO involvement in training Iraqi security forces over breakfast.
"We believe NATO ought to be involved," Mr Bush said, but added: "There's going to be some constraints, obviously. A lot of NATO countries are not in a position to commit more troops."
Mr Chirac told a news conference he did not think it was the "mission" of NATO to intervene in Iraq.
"Nor do I think it would be relevant or well-understood in Iraq," he said, adding that he would be willing to consider the idea if the interim government due to take over in Iraq on June 30 requested it.
But Mr Chirac and fellow G8 member Mr Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, who both strongly opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq last year, reported a warm diplomatic atmosphere at the summit.
"There has been a remarkable change in the American foreign policy," said the German chancellor. US officials described Mr Bush's meeting with Mr Schroeder as the warmest between the two leaders in more than a year.
"American colleagues understood they have to play ball and they did play ball," said Mr Chirac.
Mr Bush is seeking the endorsement of his G8 colleagues for an initiative aimed at promoting democratic and economic reforms in the greater Middle East, and has invited the leaders of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Tunisia, Turkey and Yemen to the summit.
Mr Blair's official spokesman told reporters a communique on the initiative expected later on Wednesday would stress a renewed commitment to the roadmap and quartet process aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
On Iraq, Mr Blair said Iraqis needed to be in a position to provide stability and security themselves.
"There is a capability that is there at the moment, but we know there are gaps in that capability and we are there to help them and make sure the Iraqis ultimately can take care of their own security and defense," Mr Blair said.
In Baghdad, Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said the country would need foreign troops to fight guerrillas even after the US-led occupation formally ends on June 30 in line with the UN resolution.