'Special relationship' intact

A casual affair: The first news conference by the two leaders

Prime Minister Tony Blair has returned home after talks with George W Bush during which the US president accepted there should be a European rapid reaction force.

Officials described Mr Blair's first face-to-face meeting with the US president as "stunningly successful".

Speaking on the flight home, Mr Blair said: "I found him very impressive indeed, very intelligent with a very real focus on what he wants to achieve."

During the visit the two leaders strolled through the woods together and said they had made a "pretty darned good" start to their getting-to-know-you session.

In chatty style at a news conference after several hours of talks at Camp David, the two leaders warned Iraq not to "cross a line," reassured each other over defence and joked about their shared tastes.

"As they told me, he's a pretty charming guy," Mr Bush joked. "He put the charm offensive on me. And it worked."

Foreign issues

Despite some American doubts, Mr Bush came out in favour of the European force, though this is conditional on mutually agreed safeguards being implemented to protect the primacy of Nato.

Blair: More reserved than Bush

Mr Blair was not quite so supportive of the American missile defence plan, which has led to European doubts.

But he was sympathetic to the concerns over weapons proliferation which lie behind it and appears to have moved closer towards eventually accepting the American position.

Their policies on Iraq did match, with both declaring their intention of containing Saddam Hussein. The joint air operations have already demonstrated a willingness to work together on difficult foreign policy issues.

Mr Blair said there should be no doubt of their "absolute determination" to make sure Saddam could not develop weapons of mass destruction.

Mixed body language

As for their personal relations, the body language seemed mixed, with George Bush joking about their shared brand of toothpaste and Tony Blair more reserved.

They will not match the closeness achieved by Mr Blair and Mr Clinton but President Bush remarked that if either had a problem, he could now just pick up the phone.

He said he was confident the two leaders would enjoy a "strong and good personal relationship and an alliance that will stand the test of time".

"I can assure you that, when either of us gets in a bind, there will be a friend on the other end of the phone," Mr Bush said.

Only time will tell close their friendship will go. It may be strained by tensions over US missile defence plans, for one, or renewed trade disputes with the European Union.