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Blair Pledges to Follow Through on Commitments to War on Terror


British Prime Minister Tony Blair is pledging to see through Britain's military commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2007.

In his annual message to parliament Tuesday, Mr. Blair called global terrorism a menace that threatens Britain and other nations. He also said he will work "tirelessly" to revive the long-dormant Middle East peace process.

Mr. Blair, who has vowed to quit by September, urged his Labor party to meet the challenges of the next decade by relying on what he called its centrist instincts of "ambition and compassion."

Turning to domestic concerns, the prime minister listed health, education, crime fighting and economic stability as top priorities, and urged the party to keep its core coalition together.

He described that coalition as "those who need our help to get on the first rung of the ladder of opportunity, and those who are already there but aspire to do better still."

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

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