WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair came to Washington on Thursday to address a joint session of Congress. In a speech interrupted by 17 standing ovations, the British leader spoke about Iraq and the overall war on terrorism.

"In the end, it is not our power alone that will defeat this evil. Our ultimate weapon is not our guns, but our beliefs," Blair said.

Blair dismissed the idea that the actions taken in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo are anti-Muslim saying, "There is a myth that though we love freedom, others don't; that our attachment to freedom is a product of our culture; that freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law are American values, or Western values; that Afghan women were content under the lash of the Taliban; that Saddam was somehow beloved by his people; that Milosevic was Serbia's savior."

The Prime Minister voiced a sentiment similar to President Bush when he said, "Ours are not Western values, they are the universal values of the human spirit."

Following his address to Congress, Blair joined Bush in the Cross Hall at the White House. There, the Prime Minister and the President made remarks and fielded a few questions from the British and American press.

Bush recognized the importance of the long-standing relationship with Great Britain. In speaking of the war on terror, Bush said, "From the outset, the Prime Minister and I have understood that we are allies in this war, a war requiring great effort and patience and fortitude. The British and American peoples will hold firm once again, and we will prevail."

The President defended taking action in Iraq. "The regime of Saddam Hussein was a grave and growing threat. ... As long as I hold this office, I will never risk the lives of American citizens by assuming the goodwill of dangerous enemies."

Bush addressed the difficulties of rebuilding Iraq saying, "The creation of a strong and stable Iraqi democracy is not easy, but it's an essential part on the war against terror. A free Iraq will be an example to the entire Middle East, and the advance of liberty in the Middle East will undermine the ideologies of terror and hatred."

Blair echoed those sentiments. "It's going to be a hard task. We never expected otherwise. But as the President has said to you, ... the benefit of that reconstruction will be felt far beyond the territory of Iraq," Blair said.

The first question taken by the two leaders addressed the disputed intelligence used in Bush's State of the Union address. When asked if he would "take responsibility for those words," the President responded, "I take responsibility for putting our troops in action. ... I take responsibility for dealing with that threat [of WMDs]. ... I take responsibility for making the decisions I made."

Blair chimed in with a defense of the intelligence, saying, "The British intelligence that we had we believe is genuine. We stand by that intelligence."

"In case people should think that the whole idea of a link between Iraq and Niger was some invention, in the 1980s we know for sure that Iraq purchased round about 270 tons of uranium from Niger," Blair added.

Both leaders firmly agreed that weapons of mass destruction would eventually be found in Iraq. Bush said, "There's no doubt in my mind."

Bush and Blair concluded the joint press conference and met privately before the Prime Minister departed Washington for Japan. President Bush left shortly thereafter for Crawford, TX.