BAGHDAD, April 26 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joined Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on a surprise visit to Iraq Wednesday.
The U.S. officials are expected to hold talks with the newly-elected Iraqi leaders and prime minister designate Jawad al-Maliki on the political process and security conditions as well as the possibility of reducing the number of U.S. forces in Iraq in the next few months.
Rumsfeld, on his fifth visit since U.S. forces invaded Iraq in March 2003, told a press conference in Baghdad the withdrawal of U.S. forces was linked to security, military and political developments in Iraq.
He said that following the formation of the new Iraqi government, Washington will start consultations on future steps to hand over security responsibility to local forces in the various provinces.
U.S. military commander in Iraq Gen. George Casey told the same news conference that he discussed with Rumsfeld the best methods for dealing with the new Iraqi leadership for sharing security responsibilities.
The U.S. officials' visits came days after a cabinet crisis was resolved with the nomination of Maliki to form the new Iraqi government, the election of Mahmoud Mashadani as speaker of parliament and re-election of President Jalal Talabani for another four-year mandate.
Observers said the twin visits could be interpreted as a challenge to al-Qaida chief in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who appeared for the first time Tuesday on video, vowing more deadly attacks on U.S. forces.
He also warned armed groups of the harmful consequences of abandoning arms and joining the political process.
In the meantime, violence continued Wednesday as an explosive charge blew up in west Baghdad targeting an Iraqi police patrol.
A police source said the blast occurred in the early morning hours, cutting through a police patrol near Mansour neighborhood. Two Iraqis were killed and two others wounded.
