BLAIR has been under fire at home for his staunch support of Washington, while US voters were widely seen as repudiating Bush?s approach in November 7 elections in which his Republican Party lost control of the US Congress.

The British leader?s visit to the White House yesterday came as the Iraq Study Group advised Bush to begin withdrawing US combat forces from the violence-wracked country and to launch a diplomatic push that would include Iraq?s neighbors Iran and Syria.

?We do not recommend a stay-the-course solution,? said former Secretary of State James Baker, a Republican who co-chaired the bipartisan commission with former Democratic Republican Lee Hamilton. ?In our opinion, that is no lon-ger viable.?

Like the panel, Blair was expected to urge Bush to embrace a wider Middle East peace policy to help resolve the Iraq crisis in what White House spokesman Tony Snow predicted would be a ?very freewheeling? conversation. ?And so I would be loath to make any predictions. But I?m certain that this report is going to come up, and I?m certain that some of the recommendations will come up?, he said.

When the 10-member group spoke with Blair last month, the prime minister was wrestling with similar issues to what the panel was considering. ?He (Blair) was dealing in many ways with precisely the same questions we were and with pretty much the same answers?, said Lawrence Eagleburger, a secretary of state under former President George Bush, the current president?s father.

SUBSTITUTE

Gates confirmed as secretary of defense

■ The Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm Robert Gates as defense secretary, with Democrats and Republicans portraying him as the man who will help overhaul President Bush?s Iraq policies.The 95-2 vote was a victory of sorts for Bush, who named Gates to replace Donald H. Rumsfeld at the Pentagon on Nov. 8, a day after voters gave Democrats control of Congress for next year. Even so, much of Gates? support stemmed from his pledges to consider new options in Iraq. Overshadowing the vote was the release of an independent study lambasting Bush?s approach to the war, increasing pressure on the White House to change course. ?I am confident that his leadership and capabilities will help our country meet its current military challenges and prepare for emerging threats of the 21st century,? Bush said in a statement after the Senate vote. He said Gates had shown during his confirmation hearing this week before the Senate Armed Services Committee that he is ?an experienced, qualified, and thoughtful man who is well respected by members of both parties and is committed to winning the war on terror.?Overall, 52 Republicans, 42 Democrats and one independent voted for Gates.