Rice Visits Iraq for Maliki Talks

The US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, arrived in Baghdad today for unannounced talks with the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, aimed at encouraging political progress.

Rice flew from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she was accompanying the US president, George Bush, on his Middle East tour.

The visit comes days after the Iraqi parliament passed new legislation to allow former members of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party to be appointed to some official posts.

The new law, passed on Saturday, reverses part of America's controversial deBa'athification strategy following the 2003 invasion. Many have argued the law should go further and say it will perpetuate tensions between Sunnis and Shias by continuing to exclude former Ba'athists from bureaucracy.

On Saturday, Bush had commended the law as "an important step toward reconciliation," but said more progress was needed.

Explaining today's trip, the National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said: "President Bush and Secretary Rice decided this would be a good opportunity for the secretary to go to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi officials to build on progress made and to encourage additional political reconciliation and legislative action."

He said Rice would return to Riyadh tonight.

Yesterday, the defense minister, Abdul Qadir, said Iraq would need foreign military assistance for at least another decade.

In an interview with the New York Times, he said: "In regard to the borders, regarding protection from any external threats, our calculation appears that we are not going to be able to answer to any external threats until 2018 to 2020," he said.

But he said on internal affairs Iraq would be able to take full control next year.

Rice's visit comes at a time of improved security in Iraq. Yesterday, however, a senior Sunni judge and his driver were killed in western Baghdad.

The attack on Amir Jawdat al-Naeeb is being seen as part of a campaign against members of Iraq's professional class.