Bush, awaiting report, vows to seek Iraq consensus

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) US President George W Bush pledged today to seek bipartisan consensus on the way forward in Iraq, as he awaited a panel's recommendations on how to shift course in the unpopular war.

Bush offered conciliatory words but no concessions to critics of his Iraq policy before a report on Wednesday from a panel led by former Secretary of State James Baker, which is expected to urge a gradual withdrawal of US combat troops.

He used his weekly radio address to reassert his commitment to bolster Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki after their summit in Jordan on Thursday, where he insisted Washington was not looking for a ''graceful exit'' from Iraq.

Under pressure on Iraq after his party's stinging election losses last month, Bush has indicated he will look closely at -- but not necessarily heed -- the findings of Baker's independent Iraq Study Group. Internal White House and Pentagon reviews are also nearing completion.

''I want to hear all advice before I make any decisions about adjustments to our strategy in Iraq,'' he said.

Many in Washington hope the bipartisan Baker commission will give Bush a way to start extricating the US forces from what is increasingly being viewed as a sectarian civil war 3-1/2 years after a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein.

But State Department and National Security Council officials told foreign diplomats on Wednesday not to expect any major policy shifts, no matter what the group recommends, The Washington Post reported, citing unidentified diplomats familiar with the private briefing.

The group's proposals -- said to include a US shift away from a combat role over the next year or so, and a regional conference that could lead to talks with Iran and Syria -- will carry significant weight even if Bush chooses to ignore them.

Starting in January, Bush must contend with a new Democratic majority in Congress after his Republican Party lost control of both chambers in the November 7 elections, largely due to deep public discontent over his Iraq policy.

Long accused by Democrats of ignoring their advice on Iraq, Bush struck a more conciliatory tone today, acknowledging violence there was unsettling for many Americans.

''Success in Iraq will require leaders in Washington -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- to come together and find greater consensus on the best path forward. So I will work with leaders in both parties to achieve this goal,'' he said.

He insisted, however, his objective remains a democratic Iraq in the heart of West Asia, something many critics say is unrealistic given the spiraling sectarian strife on top of a relentless insurgency.

Bush has denied Iraq has slipped into civil war, mindful that the American public might be more reluctant to support an open-ended US military presence under such conditions.

Taking a more direct hand in efforts to curb the bloodshed, Bush will hold White House talks on Monday with a powerful party leader of Iraq's Shi'ite majority, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim.

REUTERS PB KP2050