Bush hopes luxury island summit will heal rifts

President George Bush, bolstered by the prospect of allied support for a new UN resolution on Iraq, hopes to use the annual summit of powerful countries to heal the rift with Europe over American policies in the Middle East.

But the support on Iraq is coming only after Bush agrees to conditions on the continued presence of troops in that country. He also faces deep scepticism over an initiative he hopes the Group of Eight nations will endorse to promote democracy throughout the Middle East.