ENNIS, June 26: US President George Bush on Saturday won the European Union's unconditional backing for Iraq's new leaders just four days before they take power, as well as its support for NATO to train the fledgling Iraqi security forces.

"I think the bitter differences of the war are over," Mr Bush said at a joint press conference with Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and European Commission President Romano Prodi to mark the end of the annual US-EU summit.

The US leader, making his second fence-mending trip to Europe this month, later left for Turkey amid growing signs that NATO would agree at its summit in Istanbul next week to train and equip Iraq's fledgling security forces.

"NATO has the capability - and, I believe, the responsibility - to help the Iraqi people defeat the terrorist threat that's facing their country," Mr Bush said before leaving for Ankara on his way to Istanbul.

Diplomats in Brussels said Nato nations had agreed to train Iraqi forces, adding that a draft accord would be submitted to leaders meeting in Istanbul on June 28-29.

A joint US-EU statement said that Iraq's security forces should be trained and equipped as requested by Iraqi prime minister Iyad Allawi, who wrote a letter recently seeking NATO's help in those areas.

France and Germany, which opposed the US-led war on Iraq, have signalled support for NATO training of Iraqi forces.

The statement also reflected repeated US and EU vows to overcome deep rifts over the US-led March 2003 invasion to oust Saddam Hussein, offering "our full and sustained support" for the interim government which is due to take power on June 30.

"The United States and the European Union share a common commitment in our support for the Iraqi people and the fully sovereign Iraqi interim government as they build a free, secure, democratic, unified and prosperous country," said the statement, which was first made public by the White House.

The two sides called for the easing of Iraq's crushing 120-billion-dollar (99-million-euro) debt burden, a top Washington priority. But the 25-member EU did not make any specific new commitments.

EU member France has opposed a US push to forgive up to 90 percent of the debt, citing Iraq's oil riches.

The scandal over abuse of Iraqi detainees by US troops and worries about the fate of prisoners at the US base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, cast a shadow over the otherwise cordial summit.

In a thinly veiled reference to the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, the joint statement called for the "full respect of the Geneva Conventions" on the treatment of war prisoners.

And Irish leader Ahern said he had used a morning meeting with Bush to underline European "abhorrence" of the mistreatment, leading Bush to acknowledge the scandal had harmed US standing in the world while defiantly saying Saddam had done far worse. "I don't remember any international investigation (into his crimes)," said Bush.

Bush added that the only poll he worried about was the US presidential vote on Nov 2.

"As far as my own personal standing goes, my job is to do my job. I'm going to do it the way I think is necessary. I'm going to set a vision, I will lead, and we'll just let the chips fall where they may," he said.

To thwart possible extremist attacks and contain thousands of protesters angry at Bush policies, Ireland deployed some 6,000 security personnel, backed by tanks and armoured vehicles, around the posh Dromoland Castle resort where the EU-US leaders met. -AFP