Bush Hails NATO For Iraq Pledge

President Bush, working to cement an era of stronger U.S.-European relations, praised NATO on Tuesday for its modest contribution to help train Iraqi security forces, saying "Every contribution matters."

Speaking in Brussels, Mr. Bush said the future of Iraq depends on its ability to defend itself against terrorists.

"The success of Iraq depends upon the capacity and the willingness of Iraqis to defend their own selves against terrorists," Mr. Bush said.

NATO's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Tuesday that all 26 members of the alliance have responded to the Iraqi government's request for support – a decision designed to symbolize the end to the bitter divisions wrought by the Iraq war.

"We have fully manned and financed what we have committed to do," Scheffer said.

However, in a sign of lingering differences, France, Germany and other opponents to the Iraq war will not send instructors to Iraq, limiting their contribution to training outside the country or funding for the operation.

At a news conference, Mr. Bush also reiterated U.S. opposition to Europe's plans to lift its 15-year arms embargo against China. Mr. Bush said the United States fears that lifting the ban could change the balance of power in the region, especially between China and Taiwan.

"They say they can develop a protocol that wouldn't concern the United States," Mr. Bush said, adding he was willing to listen during a meeting Tuesday with European leaders.

In Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said that abolishing the "erroneous and outdated measure" would help move forward China-EU relations. "We hope the U.S. side will follow the trend set by China-Europe relations instead of setting any obstacles to this process," he said.

NATO has been struggling for months to get a commitment from all allies to join the mission in Iraq.

The development of a reliable Iraqi security force, so that Iraqis can handle their own security, is considered vital to lowering the U.S. troop presence there. Army Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, the general in charge of training Iraqi troops, has said that about 136,000 Iraqi military, police and national guard members have been trained and equipped — fewer than half the ultimate goal of a force of about 270,000.

Asked if he thought European nations could be doing more to help in Iraq, Mr. Bush said, "Every contribution matters."

The United States and Britain have shouldered the heaviest burden of fighting the war in Iraq. Still, Mr. Bush said, "Twenty-six nations sitting around that table said it's important for NATO to be involved in Iraq – that's a strong statement."

The mission inside Iraq is modest. It comprises just over 100 instructors training senior Iraqi officers in Baghdad's heavily protected "Green Zone." More than half the NATO instructors are American.

Alliance planners hope to expand that operation to 160 instructors, which they say is adequate for the current phase of the mission. They hope for a further expansion in September to allow NATO to help run a military academy outside the Iraqi capital — if it can find the troops and money needed.

NATO officials said France was the last to come on board and will contribute just one officer to help coordination at NATO's military headquarters in southern Belgium. But Paris is also considering a financial contribution to the mission and has offered to train 1,500 Iraqi military police in Qatar, outside the NATO program.

Mr. Bush, who is holding back-to-back summits with NATO and the European Union, is seeking to regroup allies alienated by the war. "The Iraqis have defied the terrorists and showed the world they want to live in a free society, and we're there to help them achieve that," he said.

Mr. Bush, who also is pressing his case for increasing pressure on Iran to end its nuclear ambitions, spoke after a breakfast meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the U.S. embassy here. The two leaders praised the January elections in Iraq, saying they demonstrated that the war-torn country is on the right path forward.

"Whatever the differences in the international community have been over the past couple of years, I think we have a really solid basis now for going forward in a unified way," Blair said, adding that it's possible to see a future in which Iraq will become a stable and prosperous democratic state.

"After all the tragedies of the past and the dictatorship and the loss of life under Saddam, there's now real prospect for the Iraqi people.

The alliance also is expected to emphasize its engagement in Afghanistan and may discuss an eventual NATO role in the Middle East if Israel and the Palestinians reach a peace accord.