Bush, Chirac and the transatlantic rift:

"The US and French presidents marked the conclusion of the NATO summit in Istanbul by openly and undiplomatically disagreeing over the alliance's role in Iraq and Afghanistan and Turkey's proposed admission to the European Union.

An unrepentant President Chirac, speaking to reporters before leaving for an EU summit in Brussels, reaffirmed that he was 'entirely hostile' to any NATO presence in Iraq and was unapologetic about his rows with President Bush.

'We are friends and allies but we are not servants,' he said."

John Howard and Tony Blair, please take note.