Bush Thanks Denmark For Iraq Help

Also Mulls Potential Supreme Court Nominee En Route To G-8

(AP)  President Bush thanked Denmark in person for sending troops to Iraq, stopping in Copenhagen Tuesday on his way to Scotland for a summit of world leaders.

The leaders of rich nations will be talking about Africa aid and the world's climate beginning Wednesday in Scotland.

Still focused on events at home, Mr. Bush spent a few hours on the flight from Washington looking over material on potential replacements for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who announced her resignation Friday.

The briefing papers included background information on the careers and personal lives of more than a half-dozen prospective justices and key rulings they have made, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said.

He said Mr. Bush would "home in on a handful" of prospective nominees over the next few weeks. He discounted speculation that another seat might open, perhaps with the retirement of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who has been treated for thyroid cancer.

The president and the other leaders will hold three days of talks at the Group of Eight summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, where British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who set the agenda as this year's host, wants to achieve breakthroughs not only on Africa aid but also on climate change.

Mr. Bush, wife Laura and daughter Jenna accompanied the president to Europe. The first lady and Jenna are traveling to Africa after the Scotland summit to join the Bushes' other daughter, Barbara, for about a week. Barbara has been involved in an AIDS project.

The summit follows last weekend's Live 8 concerts that featured top musicians at free rock concerts in 10 cities around the world to raise awareness about Africa's plight and bring pressure on G-8 leaders to act.

The leaders are expected to agree on billions of dollars in new support for Africa, the world's poorest continent.

Beyond Africa, Blair has made climate change a central issue of Britain's G-8 presidency, describing it as "probably the most serious threat we face." He wants an agreement among G-8 leaders on the scientific threat posed by global warming and the urgent need for action.

The United States is the only G-8 country that has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Mr. Bush declared last week on Danish television that meeting the Kyoto emission reduction targets would have "wrecked" the U.S. economy.