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US President George W. Bush gave a muted reaction Thursday to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's controversial moves to acquire broad new powers, praising his help in the "war on terrorism."

"He's still tight with us on the war against terror, and that's what I appreciate," the US leader told reporters during a brief trip here before vowing to "work with our friends and allies to promote democracy."

"We'll stay in touch with President Musharraf in more ways than one," Bush said, two days before Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage was to convey US concerns over Musharraf's initiatives during a stop in Islamabad.

Bush's comments, which came in response to reporters' questions about the political situation in Pakistan, appeared to strike a less challenging tone than reactions from his own spokesman and the US State Department.

Earlier, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer upbraided Musharraf, saying the US president "expects" the army chief, who seized power in a bloodless 1999 coup, to fulfill his promised to hold free and fair elections.

"It's important for Pakistan to follow the path to democracy. The president believes that the path to democracy is the best path for all nations," Fleischer told reporters.

"We're continuing to monitor events in Pakistan and be in touch with the government in Pakistan," Fleischer said, as Bush stopped here to lay out a plan to contain the damage from future wildfires.

Musharraf, who declared himself president in June 2001, announced several "irreversible" constitutional changes Wednesday, declaring that he did not need parliamentary approval.

Among the most controversial is the establishment of a powerful National Security Council comprising four military chiefs and eight civilian politicians who will oversee government and "foreign policy decisions and national issues."

"We are concerned that his (Musharraf's) recent decision could it make more difficult to build strong democratic institutions in Pakistan," said deputy State Department spokesman Philip Reeker.

For nearly a year, the United States has tried to strike a balance between acknowledging Pakistan's help in the "war on terrorism" Bush declared after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and pushing Musharraf towards democracy.

On Wednesday, the Pakistani leader, who also gave himself the power to sack an elected parliament, defended his National Security Council plan by saying that including the military in politics would prevent future coups.

"I say, if you want to keep the military out you have to get them in, and I mean every word of it," said Musharraf, who also announced that he would remain both president and army chief for the next five years.

By sacking the national assembly, the prime minister and cabinet would also be automatically sacked.

After seizing power in Pakistan's third coup, Musharraf appointed himself president in June last year.

Pakistani opposition parties, lawyers and rights groups cried foul Thursday, with some vowing to undo the changes after voters elect a new parliament on October 10.

US military officials believe that up to 1,000 fighters belonging to Afghanistan's former ruling Taliban militia and Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network -- blamed for the September 2001 terror attacks in the United States -- are believed to be hiding in remote tribal areas in northwestern Pakistan.

Pakistan has rejected the estimate, noting that Pakistani forces have arrested some 400 al-Qaeda fugitives from Afghanistan since the US-led campaign to wipe out the militant network began in October.

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