THE TELEGRAPH: Osama bin Laden must be captured or killed if al-Qaeda is ever going to be defeated, the top US commander in Afghanistan has said.
Gen Stanley McChrystal said bin Laden had become an "iconic figure" among terrorists.
He said President Barack Obama's deployment of 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan meant success was possible.
But he said the mission was "undeniably difficult" and the next 18 months would be crucial.
"I don't think that we can finally defeat al Qaeda until he's captured or killed," Gen McChrystal told a Senate committee.
At the same time, he cautioned that killing or capturing the Saudi-born leader of the group that mounted the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States would not by itself dismantle al-Qaeda. >>> | Wednesday, December 09, 2009
