Blair heads to White House

Tony Blair will be the star turn tomorrow in a chorus line of foreign leaders parading at the White House to shore up support for the war on terrorism, at risk of slipping as military success seems to recede in Afghanistan.

The VIP visit is part of a week-long White House public relations blitz to show the anti-terror coalition is still intact, the war winnable and the home front in safe hands. George Bush is ready to give full credit to Mr Blair for his support.

The gathering comes in the wake of a New York Times opinion poll which showed that less than a third of Americans are very confident that Mr Bush can hold the international coalition together. Mr Blair will aim to reassure them the President can.