Jagland, a former prime minister and foreign minister of Norway who's viewed as an expert on the Middle East, was quick to bash the Republicans' praise.
Jagland stressed that Norway's contribution to the rebuilding of Iraq was only authorized after requests from the United Nations, not the Bush Administration, after the war had been launched.
The Norwegian government earlier was among the many countries who firmly opposed Bush's bid to invade Iraq.
Republican members of Congress sent a letter to Norway's ambassador to the US, Knut Vollebaek, praising Norway's cooperation in the so-called "war against terrorism" and the invasion of Iraq.
Jagland said the letter was merely a bid "to drum up support for the Republicans' claim that Bush had a broad international alliance behind him before the invasion of Iraq."
He said Norway's agreement to send troops to Iraq for humanitarian work "must not be misinterpreted as support for Bush's war in Iraq."
Kristin Halvorsen, head of the Socialist Left party and a firm opponent of the war, called the praise from the US Republicans "embarrassing."
