During a press conference on the second and last day of their war summit at Hillsborough Castle, outside Belfast in Northern Ireland, Bush reiterated that the United Nations would play a "vital role" in post-war Iraq.

Asked whether the latest US attempt to target Saddam from the air had succeeded in killing the Iraqi president, Bush replied: "I don't know whether he survived."

"The only thing I know is that he is losing power... Saddam Hussein will be gone."

Blair agreed: "In all parts of the country, our power is strengthening, the regime is weakening and Iraqi people are turning towards us... The power of Saddam is ending."

US officials said a B-1 strike with bunker-busting bombs Monday on a residential neighborhood of Baghdad was intended to kill Saddam and end in one fell swoop his 24-year grip on power.

Bush and Blair were in Northern Ireland for their second summit since the war began on March 20 to chart the future of post-war Iraq, including the part that the United Nations would play.

They also discussed the quest for lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and were to lunch later Tuesday with Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern to review peace efforts in Northern Ireland.

They previously met at Camp David, the president's weekend retreat near Washington, on March 26-27.

Bush said Britain and the United States would move "as quickly as possible to place governmental responsibilities under the control of an interim authority composed of Iraqis from both inside and outside the country."

"The interim authority will serve until a permanent government can be chosen by the Iraqi people," he added.

Responding to fears of long-term US military rule over Iraq, Bush insisted that the United Nations would play a "vital role" that would include a say in the interim authority.

"It will be involved, along with the coalition, in helping to stand up an interim authority," he said, adding however: "The Iraqi people are responsible for who is on that authority."

"I believe there is some skepticism in Europe about whether I mean what I say," he added. "Saddam Hussein knows I mean what I say," he said. "The Iraqi people know I mean what I say."

Pressed on what he meant by a "vital role" for the United Nations, Bush replied: "I believe a vital role is as an agent to help people live freely."

"That means food. That means medicine. That means aid. That means a place where people can give their contributions. That means suggesting people for the interim Iraqi authority. That means being a party to the progress being made in Iraq. That's what that means," he said.

On the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Bush said he and Blair -- his stauchest ally throughout the Iraq crisis -- were "determined to move toward" a vision of "broader peace."

"We're committed to implementing the road map toward peace, to bring closer to the day when two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and stability.

"Peace in the Middle East will require overcoming deep divisions of history and religion," he said, citing Northern Ireland -- scene of three decades of sectarian strife -- as a model of conflict resolution worth following.

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