By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The American military on Friday detained a high-ranking member of al-Qaida in Iraq in the restive town of Ramadi, the US Marines said.
Amir Khalaf Fanus, also known in the Ramadi area as "the Butcher," was wanted for criminal activities including murder and kidnapping, Capt. Jeffrey S. Pool said in a statement from the town, located 115 kilometers west of Baghdad.
Fanus was number three on a most-wanted list for Ramadi drawn up by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division.
"He is the highest ranking al-Qaida in Iraq member to be turned into Iraqi and US officials by local citizens," Pool said. "His capture is another indication that the local citizens tire of the insurgents' presence within their community."