Washington ? It might be an awkward reunion, but President Bush returns today to the United Nations to ask for help with the Iraq war, which split the organization wide open — and may continue to do so.

Bush will defend his decision to topple Saddam Hussein without U.N. support, aides said, while arguing that all nations still have an interest in forging a stable Iraq. He will address the U.N. General Assembly at 9:30 a.m. CDT.

Some U.N. members, including war opponents France, Russia and Germany, are expected to argue for a larger U.N. role in rebuilding Iraq if they are to contribute money or troops or both. They also want a quicker path to Iraqi self-government.

“Iraq is going to be an important country in the future, and everybody should be a part of that,” National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said.

Bush also will spend two days meeting with world leaders, including two of the most prominent war opponents, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Chirac, whose threatened veto of a war resolution this year contributed to the U.N. impasse, said he would not block a U.S. resolution on reconstruction. But he also would not vote for a plan that does not transfer authority to the Iraqi people as soon as possible.

“When I say as quickly as possible, I of course mean months, not years,” Chirac said after weekend talks with Schroeder and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the most prominent American ally on the war.

Speaking with reporters last week, however, Bush indicated that self-government in Iraq would take time.

“The U.N. resolution must promote an orderly transfer of sovereignty to what will be a freely elected government based upon a constitution,” said Bush, who meets at Camp David this weekend with another key player, Russian President Vladimir Putin.