Meanwhile, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made an unannounced stop in Baghdad on Sunday. She praised the Iraqi government’s decision to take on Shiite militia members in Basra and in Baghdad.

Condoleezza Rice: “It is indeed a moment of opportunity in Iraq, thanks to the courageous decisions taken by the prime minister and a unified Iraqi leadership and, of course, the Iraqi Security Forces, which have fought very bravely in this recent operation.’’