BRUSSELS, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- President Bush lauded NATO's pledge Tuesday to join the United States in training Iraqi police and security forces.
The pledge by NATO leaders meeting in Brussels was "a strong statement" and "every contribution matters and every country ought to be proud of the fact that they're contributing to the world's newest democracy," he said.
NATO, the 26-member military-political alliance formed originally to counter Soviet expansion in Europe, made the commitment during Bush's second day of a four-day fence-mending and agenda-setting trip to Europe.
Sixteen countries would help train Iraqi forces inside the country; others would train them outside Iraq or contribute money for the effort.
The United States and Iraqi authorities want than 200,000 security personnel trained and equipped to take over duties from U.S. and other coalition forces in the country. Some NATO members had already been helping with the effort.
NATO's commitment to Iraq may be modest. But it was powerfully symbolic that differences some members had with Washington over the invasion and occupation of Iraq had been put in the past.
