IRAQ: Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, and Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, put on a united front during a visit to Iraq yesterday after a series of spats over the conduct of the US military campaign.
The two, travelling separately, visited Baghdad in support of prime minister-designate Jawad al-Maliki, whose appointment after four months of wrangling is regarded by Washington as a breakthrough.
Hopes in the White House for substantial troop withdrawals before the end of the year rest on Mr Maliki's ability to create a more stable and less sectarian Iraqi government. After meeting Mr Rumsfeld, Gen George Casey, the US commander in Iraq, said the new government was a major step towards creating the conditions that could allow withdrawal. "I'm still on my general timeline," he said.
The US hopes to reduce its 132,500 troops in Iraq to about 100,000 by the end of the year, and, in the best-case scenario, to 75,000. Britain hopes to reduce its force from 7,500 to about 5,000 by the end of the year.
Ms Rice, who flew in a few hours later, told reporters on her plane the joint visit with Mr Rumsfeld was to ensure the two were singing from the same hymn sheet.
"We just want to make sure there are no seams between what we're doing politically and what we're doing militarily. Secretary Rumsfeld and I are going to be there together because a lot of the work that has to be done is at that juncture between political and military," Ms Rice said.
Relations between Ms Rice and Mr Rumsfeld have been strained since a spat last month following her reference to "tactical errors" by the US military in Iraq.
Mr Rumsfeld was withering in his response: "I don't know what she was talking about, to be perfectly honest."
In Baghdad yesterday, she and Mr Rumsfeld joined American ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, senior US officers and diplomatic staff for lunch, followed by a 50-minute meeting with Mr Maliki in the heavily fortified Green Zone.
The prime minister-designate told them he did not expect to finalise the new government until May 9th. Mr Rumsfeld and Ms Rice stressed the need for the interior and defence ministries to be in the hands of independent ministers rather than Shia Muslims intent on using the posts for sectarian attacks on Sunnis. He assured them that those appointed would be independent.
Mr Rumsfeld said afterwards: "I came away most encouraged. I found him to be very focused. It's very clear that he understood his role and the role of the new government to really demonstrate that there's a government of national unity."
On troop reductions, Mr Rumsfeld told a press conference in Baghdad: "There is no question but that as the new government is formed and the ministers are in place, that it's appropriate for us to begin discussions with the new government about the conditions on the ground and the pace at which we'll be able to turn over responsibility in the provinces."
Asked by a reporter about criticism of him by recently retired US generals and whether this visit, his 12th, would be his last, Mr Rumsfeld replied: "No."
Sixty US soldiers have been killed in Iraq this month, contributed to President Bush's slump in the polls.