US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Baghdad on a surprise visit to Iraq.

She said she hoped to see further reconciliation of the various sectarian groups in Iraq.

Ms Rice arrived in the city a day after Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr threatened to wage "open war" on Iraq's government.

He urged them to halt operations against his supporters. On Saturday, Iraqi and US troops clashed with his forces in Baghdad and the south.

Six people are reported to have Iraqi forces free British journalist in military raid ...
Jordan releases Zarqawi 'mentor' ... been killed and 15 wounded in the latest clashes in the Sadr City area of Baghdad.

Ms Rice, in the Middle East for conferences with Gulf states, has been calling on Iraq's neighbours to show more diplomatic support for the government of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki.

During her journey to Baghdad, Ms Rice praised Mr Maliki's security efforts.

She said she saw a "coalescing of a centre in Iraqi politics" and Sunnis, Shias and Kurds had been working together better than ever before.

(BBC)

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