The eradication of the al Qaeda terrorist network is more important than finding Osama bin Laden, said Paul Wolfowitz, the number two in the US defence department.

In an interview with today's Telegraph, Wolfowitz, a renowned Penetagon "hawk", said the campaign against al Qaeda was only just beginning. "We are just getting into the networks, getting rid of some of the key leaders, starting to secure the intelligence that will lead us to people outside."