Iain Duncan Smith has heaped praise on the prime minister over his conduct during the war.

Backing Tony Blair's decision to stand firm alongside George W Bush, the opposition leader said the war now appeared to be all but over.

He praised "one of the most brilliantly executed campaigns of recent history".

"In the last three weeks, British and American troops have defeated Iraqi forces, taken Basra and now it seems the regime is fast losing its grip on Baghdad," he said.

"I congratulate the prime minister for the role that he has played standing together with our American allies, liberating the Iraqi people and ousting this evil dictator."

Tony Blair expressed "our pride" in the conduct of British troops.

But he added "that this conflict is not yet over" and predicted difficult and dangerous clashes before victory is secured.

Labour MP Kevin Hughes said the pictures of "torture chambers and rape rooms" proved that the war was just.

He said the images coming out of Baghdad painted "a sickening picture of the evil inflicted on innocent people" by Saddam's regime.

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy warned the prime minister that he would have to rebuild relations with Russia and the EU over the future of Iraq if the work of British troops was not to be in vain.

"We owe it to them as much as we do to the innocent Iraqi civilians to win the peace having successfully prosecuted the war," Kennedy said.

Blair countered that the immediate problems were in solving the immediate humanitarian crisis and establishing as soon as possible an interim authority "run by Iraqis representing the entire country".

During this period he said "the coalition should have a role and the UN should have a role" within Iraq.

He added that a "collaborative" operation would provide "legitimacy" to the new Iraqi-led interim administration.

Kennedy also sought reassurances that President Bush would not be biased by Israeli interests in agreeing the road map for a Palestinian solution.

"The road map is there as a way through," said Blair

"Of course people will make their representations but implementing the road map means exactly that."