U.S. regulator Dugan says AIG not template for banks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The latest U.S. bailout of insurer American International Group Inc is not a template for helping troubled U.S. banks, a top banking regulator said on Monday.

"I don't see the AIG situation as a template for banks," U.S. Comptroller of the Currency John Dugan told reporters after speaking to the Institute of International Bankers.

When asked if some banks might need to be nationalized in the short-term, he said: "If you're talking about the government taking over and running and operating on a day-to-day basis...it is a last resort."

"We are working hard to keep institutions safe and sound, and managed properly because we think they work best when they are in private hands."

(Reporting by John Poirier; editing by Carol Bishopric)