"The president also brought me up to date on his latest feelings about what's occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan," Mr Howard told Macquarie radio.Civil war? Already happening.
"There is progress being made. It's tough. It's not all negative.
"Nobody pretends that it's easy, but the alternative urged on us by the Labor Party and others of pulling out will guarantee a descent into civil war and chaos and a victory for terrorism, and we're totally opposed to that."
Mr Howard conceded that Mr Bush was under pressure in the United States over the military action.
"He is under pressure at home, of course he is. But he's not a person who succumbs easily to pressure and he's right," he said.
"Because if the United States were to withdraw from Iraq in circumstances of a perceived defeat, that would cause enormous instability in the Middle East and it would be a terrible blow to American prestige.
"Whatever you may have thought about the original invasion, you've got to deal with the reality of what is happening now."
Chaos? Already happening.
A victory for terrorism? Already happening.
Instability in the Middle East? Already happening.
A terrible blow to American prestige? Too late for that, Mr Howard. What about Australian prestige?
