George Bush has for the first time conceded that there may be parallels between the increasing violence in Iraq and the brutal assault against the US during the Vietnam War.

Asked in an interview last night if he agreed with the opinion of Tom Friedman, a New York Times columnist who compared the strife in Iraq with the Tet Offensive, the President responded: "He could be right. There’s certainly a stepped-up level of violence."

The Tet Offensive, a campaign launched by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese armies in early 1968, is largely considered a major turning point in the war in Vietnam. Even though it failed as a military assault, it was a major psychological blow for the US. The scope of the attack shocked Americans, helping turn public opinion against the war and undermining President Lyndon Johnson.

It is the first admission from the President that similarities may exist between the two conflicts. When talking about Iraq, Mr Bush has until now been keen to avoid references to Vietnam for fear of souring opinion further against the war. Donald Rumsfeld, Defence Secretary and one of the Iraq war’s most determined defenders, has always rejected Vietnam comparisons in the past.

But in a rare one-to-one interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Mr Bush acknowledged the parallel, saying that insurgents were trying "to inflict enough damage that we’d leave."

"First of all, Al-Qaeda is still very active in Iraq. They are dangerous. They are lethal. They are trying to not only kill American troops, but they’re trying to foment sectarian violence," he said. "They believe that if they can create enough chaos, the American people will grow sick and tired of the Iraqi effort and will cause (the) government to withdraw."

Mr Bush insisted he could not foresee any circumstances under which all US troops would be withdrawn from Iraq before the end of his presidency. "You mean every single troop out? No," he told Mr Stephanopoulos, adding that pulling out forces would be the equivalent of surrender.

"If we were to leave before the job is done, in my judgment, the al Qaeda would find a safe haven from which to attack," he said.

The White House later sought to play down Mr Bush’s comments. "The full context was that the comparison was about the propaganda waged in the Tet Offensive ... and the president was reiterating something he’s said before -- that the enemy is trying to shake our will," Dana Perino, a spokeswoman for Mr Bush, said in a statement.

"They know that we’re a caring and compassionate people and that we’re deeply affected by gross violence," she said. "The president also believes the American people understand the importance of beating our enemy who is determined to kill innocent freedom-loving people."

Mr Bush's comments came amidst an apparent shift in thinking in terms of strategy in Iraq, following reports that a high-level US task force was drawing up an exit plan for US troops, as well as remarks made last week by the head of the British army that his troops should pull out of the country “sometime soon" because their continued presence was exacerbating the security crisis. However, the US administration continued to insist that the increase in casualties would not lead to a reassessment of US policy.

The last three weeks alone have seen a massive surge in violence in Iraq, with a series of insurgent attacks claiming hundreds of civilian lives since the start of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and prayer. The bloodshed has also caused a sharp rise in the number of US fatalities, including 10 soldiers killed in a single day yesterday and the announcement today of two further deaths, bringing the total number of American fatalities this month to 69.

In the ABC interview, Mr Bush also expressed support for Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, but warned that his patience on the continued violence was not infinite. "In my judgment, Maliki has got what it takes to lead a unity government," he said.

"I’m patient. I’m not patient forever. And I’m not patient with dawdling. But I recognise the degree of difficulty of the task, and therefore, say to the American people, we won’t cut and run."

The President also made mention of North Korea, issuing a blunt warning to Kim Jong Il that he would be held to account should the regime be found to be selling nuclear missiles to Iran or terrorist networks.

"If we get intelligence that they're about to transfer a nuclear weapon, we would stop the transfer, and we would deal with the ships that were taking the - or the airplane that was dealing with taking the material to somebody," he said.

"My point is that I want the leader to understand — the leader of North Korea to understand that he'll be held to account. Just like he's being held to account now for having run a test."

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