Friday: Blair set for US talks

The prime minister was today concluding his holiday in Bermuda before a trip to the United States where Iraq will be top of his agenda.

Tony Blair is likely to be briefed on the situation in the Gulf ahead of tomorrow's meeting with Kofi Annan and Friday's summit with President George W Bush.

At a press conference last night, Bush admitted the coalition was facing "tough weeks" in Iraq.

The president, however, vowed to defeat terrorism and dismissed any suggestion that he would pull troops from Iraq.

"Iraq will either be a peaceful, democratic country or it will again be a source of violence, a haven for terror and a threat to America and to the world," he told reporters in Washington.

During his visit the prime minister is likely to press the US to adopt a less aggressive role in Iraq.

But he will equally stress that a tough approach must be taken against those seeking to fill the void in Iraq.

Trigger happy?

In contrast to British troops, US forces have become embroiled in a series of fatal standoffs with insurgents.

Ahead of his meeting with the president, the prime minister will meet with UN chief Kofi Annan.

The UN has expressed fears that the escalation of violence could delay its plan to play a bigger role in "post-conflict" Iraq.

But pressure is mounting at home for Blair to call on the UK to raise its profile in Iraq.

Speaking on Tuesday, shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram insisted that the UN be given more influence over the transfer of political power to the Iraqi people.

However, he admitted that it would be a "disaster" if coalition troops were to leave the region at this stage.

"I do think there is a stronger role for the United Nations on the political front in bringing about what we hope will be a successful transfer of power," he said.

Deadline

The June 30 deadline for the handover of power should not be "set in stone", but a judgement made nearer the time, he added.

His comments came as Arab television station al-Jazeera reported that at least eight Russian civilians have been taken hostage in Baghdad. They were released later that day.

A group of seven Chinese hostages have also been released, while negotiations are continuing to free the three Japanese hostages still being held.

Writing at the weekend the prime minister vowed to stay the course in Iraq - warning that a defeat in Iraq would have global consequences.

 "We are locked in a historic struggle in Iraq. On its outcome hangs more than the fate of the Iraqi people. Were we to fail, which we will not, it is more than 'the power of America' that would be defeated. The hope of freedom and religious tolerance in Iraq would be snuffed out," said the prime minister.

"Dictators would rejoice; fanatics and terrorists would be triumphant. Every nascent strand of moderate Arab opinion, knowing full well that the future should not belong to fundamentalist religion, would be set back in bitter disappointment."