President George W. Bush on Monday ruled out any quick withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and expressed concern about the possibility of a civil war in Iraq.

Speaking at a press conference in the White House, Bush said it would be a "huge mistake" and "unacceptable" for the United States to withdraw its troops from Iraq right now.

"A failed Iraq in the heart of the Middle East will provide safe haven for terrorists and extremists. It will embolden those who are trying to thwart the ambitions of reformers," he said.

"In this case, it would give the terrorists and extremists an additional tool besides safe haven and added revenues from oil sales," he asserted.

"The United States of America must understand it's in our interests that we help this democracy succeed," he said.

"A failed Iraq would make America less secure," he warned.

Meanwhile, Bush acknowledged that "extremists and terrorists are doing everything they can to prevent Iraq's democracy from growing stronger."

He said that his administration had a plan to help the Iraqis achieve their objectives, and part of the plan was to "help the Maliki government work on reconciliation and to work on rehabilitating the community."

The president expressed his concern about a possible civil war in Iraq.

"You know, the -- I hear a lot of talk about civil war. I'm concerned about that, of course. I've talked to a lot of people about it," he said.

However, Bush said he believed "the Iraqis want a unified country, and that the Iraqi leadership is determined to thwart the efforts of the extremists and the radicals and al-Qaida, and that the security forces remain united behind the government."

"One thing that's clear, the Iraqi people are showing incredible courage," he added.

Source: Xinhua