The premier will face some criticism for an over-presidential style of government, but will not be accused of urging spy chiefs to hype up the threat posed by Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD) stocks, Sunday newspapers said.

Instead, a senior intelligence officer and Blair's chief political adviser will be most in the firing line when Lord Robin Butler presents his findings on Wednesday, the papers said.

Blair tasked Butler, a former head of Britain's civil service, in February with looking into possible failures of intelligence which led to the belief that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein possessed WMDs.

None have been found since Saddam was deposed by a US-led, British-backed war last year, severely denting Blair's credibility.

A similar report in the United States reported on Friday, and while it criticised US intelligence agencies, it largely absolved the administration of President George W. Bush.

Blair would also escape, the Sunday Telegraph said, beyond some concerns at his style of government, notably the informal gatherings which decide many important decisions.

Instead, Jonathan Powell, an unelected adviser who is Blair's chief of staff, would be the "main victim" of Butler report, the paper said.

The inquiry was particularly worried about an e-mail written by Powell in September 2002 to a senior intelligence official, John Scarlett, suggesting changes to a government dossier setting out the public case for war.

Powell asked that a section of the dossier by "redrafted" as it appeared to present Saddam only as a threat if Iraq was under attack, changes which Scarlett, chairman of Joint Intelligence Committee, agreed to.

Scarlett -- whom Blair named in May as the new head of intelligence agency MI6 -- would also face criticism, the Sunday Times said, adding that Butler's reports would have some more general recommendations.

"It says that in the future, intelligence must not be misused for the purposes of making a political point," someone identified as a "senior official" who had read final draft told the paper.

The prime minister himself was set to treat the report with defiance, still insisting the decision to go to war was correct, the Sunday Times added.

According to the Independent on Sunday, the report was expected to be "less fierce" than the US Senate equivalent last week.

Nonetheless, Butler was withholding some key criticisms from documents seen by the government to prevent ministers from trying to manipulate media coverage, it added.

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