The Bush administration yesterday defended its record in combating terrorism, and identified the principal terrorist threat facing the US as a "transnational movement of extremist organisations" that exploit Islam, rather than the al-Qaeda group.

The White House report, "Combating Terrorism", was an updated version of a 2003 strategy report. It made no mention of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, and said the US had made "substantial progress in degrading the al-Qaeda network, killing or capturing key lieutenants, eliminating safe havens and disrupting existing lines of support".