US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair stood united yesterday on the war on terror and condemned a bombing in Turkey that killed more than two dozen people.

　　Blair, speaking after a meeting between the two leaders, called the blasts that shattered the British Consulate and the London-based HSBC bank in downtown Istanbul "the latest terrorist outrage."

　　Blair said the attacks should not lessen "in any way" the two countries' commitment in Iraq.

　　"Once again we're reminded of the evil these terrorists pose to innocent people everywhere and to our way life," Blair said. "Once again, we must affirm that in the face of this terrorism there must be no holding back, no compromise, no hesitation in confronting this menace, in attacking it wherever and whenever we can and in defeating it utterly."

　　Bush expressed sympathy for the loss of life and said, "The nature of the terrorist enemy is evident once more. We see their utter contempt for innocent life. They hate freedom. They hate free nations."

　　With the attacks sure to refocus attention on the continuing danger of terrorism, Bush and Blair warned against complacency and used the bombings to justify their troops' continued presence in Iraq despite rising death tolls there.

　　Blair, who has seen his approval ratings sink amid broad opposition here to the war, called the process of ensuring a stable, democratic Iraq "an essential part in defeating this fanaticism and extremism" that is killing innocents in attacks around the world.

　　"Our response is not to flinch or give way or concede one inch," he said. "We stand absolutely firm until this job is done.""They need to be stopped and we will stop them," Bush said.With as many as 100,000 anti-war protesters mobilizing in London for a massive march on Parliament as they spoke, Bush and Blair were seeking to turn the tide of opinion in Europe on the Iraq occupation.

　　Bush hinted that US troop levels in Iraq could rise, not fall as many have speculated with an expected transfer of power to Iraqis next year.

　　"We could have less troops in Iraq, we could have the same number of troops in Iraq, we can have more troops ... whatever it takes to secure Iraq," he said.

　　The two leaders apparently failed to resolve a dispute over the United States' holding, without trial, of nine British terror suspects at a US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

　　Blair, who is now under pressure to bring the citizens home, said: "It will be resolved at some point or other. It will be resolved soon."

　　Bush gave no clue as to which way he was leaning, saying that "justice is being done, they're being treated in a humane fashion."Also yesterday, Bush was trying to showcase a softer side of US foreign policy by convening a round-table gathering on American efforts to combat AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean.

　　Earlier on the second full day of his 3 1/2-day visit to Britain, Bush and his wife, Laura, had an emotional meeting with family members of seven British soldiers killed in Iraq. They met in the Dean's Chapel of Westminster Abbey.

　　The president also laid a cream-colored wreath with a red, white and blue banner at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in a subdued ceremony at the cathedral.

　　Bush said he was not dismayed by mass demonstrations against his visit.

　　"Freedom is beautiful," the president said, adding he was happy to be in a countryswherespeople were allowed to speak their minds freely. "All I know is that people in Baghdad weren't allowed to do this until recent history."

　　Bush defended himself as a free-trade advocate despite US trade sanctions on Chinese textile imports and a ruling by the WTO that the United States has violated international trade laws by imposing tariffs to protect American steel producers.