Visiting Quantico Military Base in Virginia, George Bush warned: “I fully understand that if we were to be driven out of Iraq that the Middle East could be in chaos, and chaos would embolden Sunni extremists like al Qaeda, and chaos would embolden Iran”

The US President underscored : ” I also told them that our commanders will have the flexibility and the troops needed to achieve the mission, which is an ally in this war on terror, and a stable country that can self govern, a democracy in the heart of the Middle East.
I made it clear that the sacrifices that they and their families were going to make were necessary for the short-term and long-term security of the country; that we’d rather defeat the enemy overseas than have to face them here; that we fully understand, or I fully understand that if we were to be driven out of Iraq that the Middle East could be in chaos, and chaos would embolden Sunni extremists like al Qaeda, and chaos would embolden Iran; and that it’s in our interests that we help Iraq succeed — not only in our interests, but it’s also in the Iraqis’ interests. ”