US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flew into Baghdad for a surprise visit to press Iraqi leaders to resolve their differences and ease raging sectarian violence that has killed thousands. “Our role is to support all the parties and indeed to press all of the parties to work towards that resolution quickly, because obviously the security situation is not one that can be tolerated and is not one that is being helped by political inaction,” Dr Rice said travelling with her.But her arrival in Baghdad was delayed by 30 minutes because of “indirect fire” at the airport complex, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. Her plane circled until it was deemed safe for her to land.
Dr Rice, on a Middle East tour, was due to hold talks with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who met Sunnis and fellow Shiite majority leaders on Monday to agree a four-point plan to try to stem mistrust between the sects and ease sectarian violence.