Bush Drops Hopes for NATO Troops in Iraq

The G-8 leaders also agreed Thursday to extend for two years a program offering debt relief to the world's most impoverished nations. They instructed their finance ministers to "consider measures that can further help the poorest countries address the sustainability of their debt," with a report due by year end.

That fell well short of a more dramatic debt relief plan that some British and U.S. Treasury officials were reported to be considering earlier this week. That plan, which would give a 100 percent write-off of debt for the countries qualifying, has encountered skepticism from the White House and other quarters.

"We are disappointed, although they left the door open to progress by the end of this year," said Jamie Drummond, executive director of Data, a group founded by the rock star Bono to promote aid and other support for Africa.

Chirac called for more extensive aid to developing countries. He said there should be $50 billion of such aid by 2015 and said "the private sector is not a replacement" for such aid. Chirac said this notion was supported by some G-8 leaders and "strongly rejected" by others, an apparent reference to Bush.

In their private meeting, Chirac and Bush discussed their differences over NATO and development aid, and Chirac pressed Bush to take a more aggressive position on global warming. The two did not discuss another area of contention, Iraqi debt relief; Chirac opposes relief of more than 50 percent and the Bush administration wants the "vast majority" forgiven.

Facing reporters after the private meeting, Bush jiggled his leg and appeared impatient with Chirac after their numerous public clashes in the past week. But Bush and Chirac broke the tension when discussing food.

"This cuisine here in America was certainly on par with French cuisine," Chirac said.

"He particularly liked the cheeseburger he had yesterday," remarked Bush, who chuckled as soon as he heard the word "cuisine."

"It was excellent," agreed the Frenchman, making an "okay" sign.

Staff writers Paul Blustein and Dafna Linzer in Washington and Glenn Kessler in Georgia contributed to this report.