LONDON, Nov. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- US President George W. Bush has given a robust defense of the situation in Iraq in a BBC television interview broadcast Sunday, vowing that terrorists would not drive US forces out of Iraq.

    "What they want to do is they want to shake the will of the free world, and the good news about having a partner like (BritishPrime Minister) Tony Blair is he won't be shaken, you see, and neither will I. And neither will (Spanish Prime Minister) Jose Maria Aznar," Bush told the BBC before his visit to Britain, the United States' staunchest ally in the US-led war on Iraq.

    "We are making progress. That is not to say it is not tough, ofcourse it is tough," Bush said, referring to the situation in Iraq,where attacks on US troops have been an almost daily event and left 400 US soldiers dead since the United States launched a war against Iraq on March 20.

    The Iraqis "need to know that we won't leave prematurely. They need to know two things: that we are not going to cut and run, andtwo, we believe they have the capacity to run their own country," Bush told the BBC.

    Claiming that he had learned lessons from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 against the United States, Bush said that war was not his "first choice."

    "Terrorists declared war on the United States of America and war on people that love freedom, and I intend to lead our nation, along with others, like our close friends in the Great Britain to win this war on terror," Bush said.

    Bush's interview, taped last week, was broadcast after the United States announced a new plan aimed at a faster transfer of power to Iraqis amid unrelenting violence in Iraq.

    Bush was set to visit Britain from Nov. 18 to Nov. 21, during which thousands of anti-war demonstrators were expected to attend a mass protest against him.

    On the possible demonstrations, Bush said he valued "going to acountry where people are free to say anything."

    Speaking of Blair, Bush said he valued the British prime minister's advice and the fact that he could trust him.

    Blair has defended Bush's upcoming controversial visit to Britain as a chance to reaffirm shared values.

    Former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, who stood down as Commons leader over the war in Iraq, said on Saturday the decision to giveBush a full state visit was "baffling."

    And the British Sunday newspapers were full of concerns about terror threats related to Bush's visit.

    Amid fears of terrorist attacks, an "unprecedented" security operation was being put into place to protect Bush during what wasbelieved to be the first state visit by a US president to Britain since the British Queen Elizabeth came to throne 52 years ago.

    About 5,000 police officers would be used to protect Bush from any possible terrorist attacks or violent demonstration.

    According to the Observer, British Home Secretary David Blunkett has rejected calls to grant diplomatic immunity to armed US agents protecting Bush. Enditem