President George W. Bush yesterday stepped up his rhetoric about US dependence on oil from the Middle East, warning about the dangers of being dependent on countries where "tyrants control the spigots".

In remarks at the National Governors Association meeting, Mr Bush said: "I spend a lot of time worrying about disruption of energy because of politics or civil strife in other countries - because tyrants control the spigots. And it is in our national interest that we become less dependent on oil."