President Bush conceded Thursday that it is unrealistic to expect NATO countries to send more troops to Iraq, but made a parting plea to world powers to do more to guide the Iraqi people to a stable democracy

President Bush conceded Thursday that it is unrealistic to expect NATO countries to send more troops to Iraq, but made a parting plea to world powers to do more to guide the Iraqi people to a stable democracy. "They need our help, and they will have our help," Bush said at the end of a Group of Eight economic summit where European allies expressed resistance to giving NATO an expanded military role. That means the United States and Britain will continue to provide the bulk of military troops in Iraq for now, although Bush said that over time, "the solution for Iraqi security is going to be provided by the Iraqis." French President Jacques Chirac said he believed any direct involvement by NATO troops in Iraq held "great risks, including something of a risk of a clash between the Christian West and the Muslim East." Chirac did not rule out a training role, however. Germany also opposes sending NATO troops to Iraq, although Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Thursday that "we have also made it clear that the decision of the NATO members who are involved in Iraq won't be blocked."