One frustrated White House source said: “If there was a rifleshot solution, we would have already pulled the trigger.”

Mr Bush, Vice-President Dick Cheney and Stephen Hadley, his National Security Adviser, spent 90 minutes yesterday with members of the Iraq Study Group.

The bipartisan commission, led by James Baker, the former Secretary of State, has been asked to chart a new course for the war. But the White House appears to be uncomfortable with some of the early ideas for a report due at the turn of the year. These include moving away from the ideal of fostering democracy across the Middle East and towards stabilising Iraq through political compromise with countries such as Syria and Iran.

Mr Bush said yesterday that he was “not going to prejudge the Baker commission report”, adding: “They want us to succeed in Iraq just as we want us to succeed.” He said the goal in Iraq was to build a government “that can sustain and defend itself” and went on to highlight the importance of a military review of strategy being conducted by the Pentagon.

Tony Snow, the White House press secretary, described the meeting as a conversation in which both sides shared views. “This is not a deposition but an assessment of the situation on the ground.” On Capitol Hill, however, the Democrat in line to become chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee offered his own grim assessment. Senator Carl Levin accused the Administration of ignoring the fact that it is digging itself into a hole and said that it should “look for alternatives in order to promote the chances of success in Iraq”.

Along with many leading Democrats, he wants US troops to begin pulling out within four to six months.

But Mr Levin said that his party would wait for the Baker commission’s report, as it would have “an impact on whatever action might be possible”.

Mr Blair is planning to speak to the Baker commission, via video link, today. The White House appeared to be in no mood yesterday to pick a fight with him over his comments about involving Iran and Syria in peace talks.

Mr Bush’s trip to South-East Asia later this week will include a visit to Vietnam at a time when the war a generation ago is being compared to the one being in Iraq today.

Back in Washington, two decorated Vietnam veterans are helping to frame the terms of the debate about what America should do next. On one side is Senator John McCain, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, who believes that more US servicemen are needed in Iraq.

On the other side is John Murtha, a Democrat congressman whose opposition to the war has been strongly criticised by Republicans.

But Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, is backing Mr Murtha to become Majority Leader — effectively her deputy — against Steny Hoyer, the more moderate incumbent, in what promises to be a tight election on Thursday.

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