Washington: The Iraq war has sent a clear message to all violent groups that US has the capacity and will wage war on terrorism, Vice-President Dick Cheney has said.

Cheney, who was addressing the annual convention of the American society of newspaper editors, on April 9 scoffed at the early criticism of the war's strategy and said, "It was one of the most extraordinary campaigns ever conducted."

He dismissed critics as "retired military officers embedded in television studios".

However, Cheney cautioned that the war is not yet won and that Saddam Hussein's regime still controls a lot of territory in Northern Iraq and fierce fighting may lie ahead.

Message Board

Is the US acting as a sole superpower by snubbing UN? Post your views

As for the role of the UN and the war's opponents like France, he said they are expected to have humanitarian involvement in the post-war efforts in Iraq.

However, the key role in the reconstruction of Iraq and the creation of a new Iraqi government has to reside within the US government, Cheney said.

"We don't believe that the United Nations is equipped to play that central role," he said. "It will play a very important role, but I think the central role will reside with the coalition."

In Afghanistan, Cheney said United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan sent a UN representative to be involved in the creation of a government. "That may be the right way to go" in Iraq, he said.

PTI