US troops killed an Al-Qaeda chieftain in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi by destroying his car with a laser guided bomb, the US military said. "Rafa Abdul Salam Hamud al-Ithawi, also known as Abu Taha, was the emir of Shamiyyah," it said. "He frequently harboured foreign fighters who entered Iraq illegally in order to assault innocent Iraqis and coalition forces."
According to AFP, Ithawi was killed on Wednesday along with his driver, "diminishing the al-Qaeda in Iraq network," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani stated on Thursday that American forces should stay for up to three more years in Iraq to enable local authorities to build up their own security forces. According to Talabani, Iraq was not in a civil war. He accused the media of focusing only on negative stories.
However, according to Reuters, he said that "international terrorists" were still concentrating all their efforts in Iraq. "We need time. Not 20 years, but time. I personally can say that two to three years will be enough to build up our forces and say to our American friends 'Bye bye with thanks'," Talabani said in France.
The Iraqi president said he wanted France to be actively involved in the rebuilding of the country and help train Iraqi forces.
