Embattled U.S. president, British prime minister embrace U.N. proposal for interim government in Baghdad

The two leaders, embattled by recent uprisings in Iraq that have undermined the occupation of the country, said they were of one mind on their Iraq policy. "Britain and America and our allies can either break our word to the people of Iraq, abandon them in their hour of need and consign them to oppression, or we can help them defeat the enemies of a free Iraq and build the institutions of liberty," Bush said. "The prime minister and I have made our choice: Iraq will be free. Iraq will be independent. Iraq will be a peaceful nation." But even as he put up a united front on Iraq, Blair distanced himself a bit from Bush's new stand on the Arab-Israeli conflict, which has been poorly received in European capitals, according to The New York Times. Blair said he welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's move to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank, but the Briton did not endorse two promises by Bush that have infuriated Arab leaders: that Israel, as part of any peace settlement, will not have to accept the right of Palestinian refugees to return to Israel and will not have to abandon all settlements in the occupied territories. Blair said he would call for a meeting of the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States to consider granting new aid to the Palestinians. The Palestinians need the help, he said, to meet the challenge of providing security and economic stability and establishing their ability to govern themselves effectively as Israel withdraws.