WASHINGTON, May 21: The “war on terror” is advancing but not yet won, US President George W. Bush said on Saturday. “Our strategy is clear: We will fight the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. While some difficult days still lie ahead, these recent victories are making America safer and the world more secure,” Bush said in his weekly radio address.

“Terrorists know that there is no room for them as freedom takes root in the broader Middle East, so they are fighting to stop its progress,” he said. “But in recent weeks, we have dealt them a series of devastating blows.

“In Afghanistan, we have brought to justice dozens of terrorists and insurgents. In Pakistan, one of Osama bin Laden’s senior terrorist leaders, a man named Al-Libbi, was brought to justice. In Iraq, we captured two deputies of the terrorist Zarqawi, and our forces have killed or captured hundreds of terrorists and insurgents near the Syrian border,” Bush said.

Bush, who on Monday welcomes Afghan President Hamid Karzai to the White House, added that First Lady Laura Bush was currently traveling in the Middle East “to help advance the freedom agenda.”—AFP