Bush: Fighting extremism in Iraq is crucial to US security

Broadening his defence of the war in Iraq, US President George Bush today said withdrawing US forces would allow the Middle East to be taken over by extremist forces and put the security of the United States in jeopardy.

“I want our fellow citizens to consider what would happen if these forces of radicalism and extremism were allowed to drive us out of the Middle East,” Bush said to thousands of veterans at the American Legion convention in Reno, Nevada.