| NATO ambassadors met again on Thursday to try to resolve differences over a pledge to train Iraqi security forces, with France notably blocking an accord, diplomats said. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders agreed at a summit in Istanbul last month to provide such training after the handover of powers to Bagdhad from the US-led coalition, but left details to be hammered out. The French government is standing firm in resisting an Alliance mission in Iraq itself, pressing for training to take place outside the war-scarred country, diplomats say. The United States, which has long pushed for a bigger NATO role in Iraq where American troops have been struggling to contain mounting violence, is pushing hard for an accord. |