Campaigning in Manchester, Republican John McCain said setting a date for removing US troops from Iraq would lead to catastrophe.
New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers has more.
The Arizona Senator says he shares the public's frustration over the situation in Iraq, but remains convinced the US mustn't pull out.
McCain told an audience at a downtown law firm that Iraq has become a global center of Islamic extremism:
"This was not before, but it is now, part of the struggle against radical Islamic extremism. And there's Al Qaeda in Iraq, and there are other forces in Iraq who are bent on our destruction."
McCain said he expects the US to face terror threats for the next century, and slighted the congressional debate on Iraq slated for September.
The former POW added that this war can't be compared to Vietnam because fighters in Iraq will follow US troops home if they leave.
For NHPR News, this is Josh Rogers.
