US welcomes arrest of Congolese rebel leader Gen. Laurent Nkunda

The United States welcomed Friday the arrest in Rwanda of renegade Gen. Laurent Nkunda, Congo's most powerful warlord who has spent years fighting for supremacy in the northeastern part of the country. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the episode was "a good sign of cooperation" among the governments of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. "His removal is a welcome step on the road to peace," Wood said in response to a reporter's question. "I mean, he has caused nothing but havoc for the people of Congo and, frankly, for the people of the region. So, you know, he's been causing havoc for far too long."