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US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld arrived in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Wednesday, at the start of a visit to Iraq, al-Jazeera TV channel reported. Rumsfeld is the highest-ranking US official to visit the war-torn Gulf country since coalition troops ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on April 9.
It was reported that the US official could travel to the capital city of Baghdad later in the day to inspect US troops there, who have been dealing with the aftermath of the overthrow of Saddam's regime.
The US troops have been searching for the Iraqi strongman since April 9, while the situation in Baghdad has gradually returned to normal following initial anarchy.
Defying international opposition, the United States and Britain launched a war against Iraq on March 20, and the coalition troops ousted Saddam after 20 days of offensives.
(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2003)
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