Support for the war in Iraq has dropped in recent polls. The latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found that 54 percent of those surveyed believed the invasion of Iraq was a mistake.

Kissinger said the U.S. faces a fight to prevent the spread of radical Islam in Iraq, and it would be "a catastrophe for the whole world" if it fails.

"If a radical government emerges in Baghdad, or if any part of Iraq becomes what Afghanistan used to be, a training ground for terrorists, then this will be a catastrophe for the Islamic world and for Europe ... and eventually for us," he said.

Kissinger called on the U.S. to remove any troops that are not necessary for the American goal of stabilizing Iraq.

But President Bush squelched talk of troop withdrawals last week, saying a premature withdrawal would send "a terrible signal to the enemy."

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