Bush faces critics, calls for greater transatlantic unity

President George Bush dismissed the rift with Europe over Iraq as a “passing disagreement of governments” today and urged greater transatlantic cooperation, including more support for the fledgling Iraqi government.

“Now is the time for the established democracies to give tangible political, economic and security assistance to the world’s newest democracy,” Bush said in a speech intended for both European and American consumption.

Bush began a five-day European trip in Brussels, home to both the European Union and Nato. He also planned to dine privately with French President Jacques Chirac, one of his most outspoken critics on the Iraq war.

Despite his appeal to bury past differences, divisions remain over post-war Iraq, how to confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions, a European proposal to end a 15-year arms embargo with China and a treaty on global warming spurned by Washington.

Aides conceded that much work needed to be done. But the president’s words were clearly conciliatory. And his advisers said it was hoped they would lead to greater, and cooler, dialogue.

“As past debates fade, and great duties become clear, let us begin a new era of transatlantic unity,” Bush said in a prepared speech. Excerpts were released before delivery.

“No temporary debate, no passing disagreement of governments, no power on earth will ever divide us,” he said.

The site for Bush’s speech was the Concert Royal, a 19th century government building used for banquets and meetings.

Bush attends meetings of both the EU and Nato tomorrow, visits Germany on Wednesday, and on Thursday goes to Slovakia, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin who has alarmed Western leaders with his crackdown on political dissent and rolling back of some democratic reforms.

An alliance of 88 environmental, human rights, peace and other groups planned two days of protests in Brussels to demand “no European complicity” in a US-designed world order.

Brussels police called on 2,500 officers – 1,000 more than the usual number for the three or four summit meetings that bring European Union leaders to the Belgian capital every year.

An issue where the allies may find common ground is a demand that Syria withdraw its forces from Lebanon – a declaration prompted by the assassination of a former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, in a massive bombing in Beirut last week.