Addressing a fund raiser for Lynn Swann, candidate for Governor in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Bush said the war on terror was being fought in "many theatres" with Iraq being the "central front", adding, "If we leave before the mission is complete, if we withdraw, the enemy will follow us home."
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."
Bush said the "enemy" had themselves also viewed Iraq as the "central front."
"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.
Saying that "Muslim women, Hindu women, Christian women, Jewish women want their children to grow up in peace and hope", Bush stressed the "enemy knew no bounds of cruelty."
"They've got motives. They do not believe in freedom. They don't believe in freedom of religion. They don't believe in freedom of dissent. They don't believe in women's rights. They have a backward view of the world. And yet they want to impose their vision on other people. That's what they're trying to do. And the United States of America must never retreat and let them have their way," he added.
He said the war on terror was different from a conventional one.
"This is different. We're facing people with an ideology, but without a nation state. Sometimes they have some people to sponsor them and help them. But this is not a nation state. It's a different kind of conflict and it's hard on the American people. I understand that. But we shouldn't let the difficulties of facing this war force us to retreat from the world," the president said.
Bush stressed the importance of "intelligence in order to be able to figure out the designs of the enemy before they strike," adding it was important the US stayed on the offensive and brought "these people to justice."
Referring to the foiling of the plot to bomb airliners flying to the US from United Kingdom last week, Bush said "Just last week, had good intelligence in working with our partners in Great Britain to disrupt a plot," and went on to single out the role of al Qaeda.