WASHINGTON — President Bush's choice to be the new military commander in the Middle East warned Tuesday that the U.S. may have to lower its expectations for Iraq, saying the country's transition into a peaceful democracy may be "a long time coming."

Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, who was picked last month by Bush to replace retiring Army Gen. John P. Abizaid as head of U.S. Central Command, said security and stability must come first in Iraq — meaning many of the political reforms once viewed as essential to the administration's democratization goals may need to be postponed.

"Going back to 2003, we had hundreds of good ideas of things that we would like to see in Iraq that are more reflective of the kind of society and process that we enjoy here," Fallon said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. "We probably erred in our assessment of the ability of these people to take on all these tasks at the same time."

A vote on Fallon's confirmation is expected today or Thursday.

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, praised Fallon on Tuesday as "a good choice" to oversee the command that includes Iraq, saying his "ambassadorial spirit" as commander in the Pacific has helped bring stability to the region.

"Knowing him as I have since he has been Pacific commander, I look upon his ambassadorial spirit as a plus for him," Akaka said.

Akaka noted the relationships Fallon developed with military leaders in Asia and the Pacific.

Fallon's ability to "work internationally with other countries" was a major reason for his choice to take over Central Command, Akaka said, adding that the admiral "came across as a person who wants to change things and make it right based on his 40 years of experience in the Navy."

Akaka asked Fallon, 62, why he thought he was chosen as the first Navy man to head the command.

"I believe what they're looking for is someone with experience, which I've been fortunate to have acquired ... and someone who is already familiar with the workings of a regional command and the requirements of that position," Fallon said.

Fallon's views on the war in Iraq follow similar assessments made by other administration and military leaders in recent months — a shift that has come as violence in Baghdad has raged for nearly a year. Fallon pointedly refused to answer questions on the buildup of forces in Iraq, however, saying he could not assess the number of troops needed for the mission until he receives more details on the plan.

Instead, Fallon appeared to defer to Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the new four-star commander in Iraq and an advocate of the troop increase, on much of the new war strategy. Such a stance would have him playing a much different role than his predecessor, Abizaid, who was intimately involved in the details of the Iraq campaign, even before the 2003 invasion.

Fallon told the committee he would seek more help from other countries in the region for securing and rebuilding Iraq.

"I see an awful lot of sitting and watching by (countries in) the neighborhood," Fallon said. "It's high time that changed."

As head of U.S. Pacific Command, Fallon gained a reputation for pushing to engage with occasionally antagonistic governments, particularly in China, at times defying the administration's heated rhetoric concerning Beijing.

His reputation prompted several senators to ask whether he advocated diplomatic engagement with Iran, a move already rejected by the White House. Fallon would not exclude the possibility of such direct discussions.

"The extent that we can understand better the thoughts and actions of others reduces substantially, in my experience, the danger of miscalculation, and so I strongly endorse that approach," Fallon said, speaking generally of dialogue with Middle East nations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.