Bush to hail Iraq poll in keynote address

US President George Bush will hail the success of the Iraqi elections today during his annual State of the Union Address.

In a 40-minute speech, he will pay tribute to troops who have died in battle and discuss the way forward in the Middle East. A White House spokesman said: "He will be very specific about why we're there, what the stakes are and what he judges will be success in Iraq."

He will call on other nations to "to find ways to show tangible public support" for Iraqis and their government, and will discuss prospects for peace in the Middle East.

The speech, before Congress tonight, will be watched live on television by millions of Americans.

Mr Bush has the lowest approval rating of any secondterm president since Richard Nixon. But he insists that reelection has given him a mandate for change. The address will also provide a blueprint for his domestic programme in a second term.

The centrepiece is social security reform. Plans to partprivatise the system have proved controversial, with Democrats determined to block attempts to add individual investment accounts to the government's almost 70-year-old retirement system.

Other proposals include an overhaul of the tax code, limits on medical malpractice lawsuits and immigration reform.