PORTLAND – Maine diplomat George Mitchell praised the Bush administration for its handling of the Iraq war, but said a challenging task of bringing democracy to that country lies ahead.

The former U.S. Senate leader said ushering in a democratic system, while making peace with allies in Europe and the rest of the world, will be “a long-term and expensive process.”

Mitchell brokered peace talks that produced the Good Friday Accord between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland in 1998. He also led a committee that made recommendations for building peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Mitchell said he foresees no role for himself helping to rebuild Iraq.

“I think the administration has chosen the transition team that will lead the efforts to establish an interim governing authority leading to elections,” he told a reporter.