The meeting came after Bush announced he would create an independent panel to investigate the gaps between the pre-war charges that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and the post-war failure to prove those allegations.

"They had a very constructive discussion. Dr. Kay talked to the president about his impressions and what he has learned," said McClellan, who declined comment on whether they had discussed who should sit on the commission.

Kay, the former head of the Iraq Survey Group scouring that war-torn country for evidence of unconventional weapons, left the White House around 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) without speaking to reporters.

But he called last week for an independent investigation to look into what he has described as intelligence failures about the threat posed by Iraq.

WAR.WIRE