Washington, March 19, SPA -- President George W. Bush will give a major speech today on the war on terrorism. In excerpts released last night by the White House, Bush said: “The challenge in the period ahead is to consolidate the gains we have made and seal the extremists' defeat,” he said in excerpts the White House released Tuesday night. “We have learned through hard experience what happens when we pull our forces back too fast _ the terrorists and extremists step in, fill the vacuum, establish safe havens and use them to spread chaos and carnage.” Bush added: “The successes we are seeing in Iraq are undeniable, yet some in Washington still call for retreat.” The president will seek to shift the nation's focus from economic ills to the security gains in Iraq, part of a series of events the White House planned around the anniversary and an upcoming report from the top U.S. figures in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/538029