Bush, Brown vow stronger ties

CAMP DAVID, Maryland (AFP) - President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday vowed to strengthen US-British ties and their own personal bonds at a first summit clouded by terrorism and Iraq.

After two days of talks at this leafy presidential retreat about 70 miles (112 kilometers) north of Washington, Bush and Brown sought to preserve the backslapping bonhomie of relations under former prime minister Tony Blair.

"So everybody's wondering whether or not the prime minister and I were able to find common ground, to get along, to have a meaningful discussion. And the answer is absolutely," Bush said at a joint press conference.

For what may have been the first time since taking office in January 2001, the US president affirmed that "the relationship between Great Britain and America is our most important bilateral relationship," echoing his guest's assessment.

"The strength of this relationship, as I've said, is not just built on the shared problems that we have to deal with together or on the shared history, but is built, as President Bush has just said, on shared values," said Brown.

Amid apparent efforts by Brown to distance himself from Bush, the two leaders made a show of unity on efforts to bring about Middle East peace, revive global trade talks, and agreed, Brown said, to "step up" pressure to end violence in Sudan's Darfur province.

Bush said he has no doubts about Brown's commitment to battle terrorism after London's decision to drop the "war on terrorism" label -- an expression the president himself never used during the question and answer session.

"He gets it," said Bush, who rebuked a reporter who asked the prime minister whether he shared Washington's approach, asking "What do you expect the answer to be ...? Come on, man."

For his part, Brown embraced what has come to be known as the Bush Doctrine against terrorism, declaring that "there should be no safe haven and no hiding place for those who practice terrorist violence or preach terrorist extremism."

But in an apparent break, Brown said "Afghanistan is the front line against terrorism" -- Bush calls Iraq "the central front" -- only to revise that to "the first line in the battle against the Taliban" who once ruled there.

The two leaders, who appeared in suits rather than the casual attire of Blair's 2001 visit here, played down their differences on Iraq after press reports that Britain may pull out all of its 5,500 troops.

"There's no doubt in my mind he understands the stakes of the struggle. And there's no doubt in my mind that he will keep me abreast of his military commanders' recommendations based upon conditions on the ground," said Bush.

Brown, whose government has denied the reports, said any such decision "will be made on the military advice of our commanders on the ground" but that his goal was to transfer security responsibilities to Iraqi forces.

"Whatever happens, we will make a full statement to Parliament when it returns" in October, after the US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus issues a crucial progress report in mid-September, said Brown.

Asked how things had changed since Brown's arrival, Bush quipped "besides toothpaste?" -- a reference to his 2001 summit with Blair, when he cited Colgate toothpaste, a love of sports, and "great wives" as common traits.

"He's actually a humorous Scotsman," Bush said with a laugh. "We actually were able to relax and to share some thoughts."

"He's a glass-half-full man, not a glass-half-empty guy, you know. Some of these world leaders say, 'Oh, the problems are so significant, let us retreat; let us not take them on. They're too tough," said Bush. "That's not Gordon Brown. His attitude is, 'I see a problem; let's work together to solve it.'"

Bush said Brown had "suffered unspeakable tragedy" -- a likely reference to the death of Brown's infant daughter in 2002 -- and that "instead of that weakening his soul, it strengthened his soul. I was impressed."

"And I'm confident that we'll be able to keep our relationship strong, healthy, vibrant and that there will be constant communications as we deal with these problems," said the president.

Brown called Bush "very compassionate" and joked that the president's understanding of Scotland had been forged on a trip there at age 14 when Bush "had to sit through a very long Presbyterian church service, in which you didn't understand a word of what the minister was actually saying."