Thursday, August 17 2006 10:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: US President George W Bush has said that there would be no let up in the war on terror and America would not 'cut and run' in Iraq.

Addressing a fund raiser for Lynn Swann, candidate for Governor in Pennsylvania yesterday, Bush said the war on terror was being fought in "many theatres" with Iraq being the 'central front'.

"If we leave before the mission is complete, if we withdraw, the enemy will follow us home," he said.

Referring to critics of his Iraq policies, Bush said that he felt those who "believe we should cut and run" were wrong.

"They're wrong for this reason. This would be a defeat for the United States in a key battleground in the global war on terror." said Bush.

"The enemy had themselves also viewed Iraq as the central front," he said.

"They want to drive us from the region, that they view it as the central front as well. They've got objectives in Iraq. They want the United States to suffer a defeat in Iraq," he said.

"Our strategy is this: We will stay on the offense and we are. Any time we get a hint that somebody is going to hurt us, we respond. And we're keeping the pressure on the enemy. We will stay on the offense so we don't have to face them here in the United States of America" he said.