U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks to reporters at a news conference in Baghdad, Dec. 18, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice paid a surprise visit to Iraq on Tuesday in a bid to push Iraqi leaders to speed up the national reconciliation efforts.

Rice also talked about the U.S.-Iraq ties with Iraqi leaders as the two countries are moving forward to forge a long-term relationship map next year.

Her visit coincided with the Turkish troops' cross-border strikes on the hideout of rebels in northern Iraq and a bombing in the region on Sunday.

Rice acknowledged the threat of the rebelling Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) to Turkey and Iraq, but said there should be "an overall comprehensive approach to the problem."

At a joint press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Rice said she discussed with Iraqi leaders about "how to build on the security and economic progress that has been made here and the significant political progress at the local and provincial levels to make sure that national reconciliation can take place."

The United State is disappointed that the Iraqi government has made no tangible political progress and has not realized the passage of key legislations in spite of an improved security situation over the past several months.

Before flying into Baghdad, Rice stopped at northern Iraqi oil-rich city of Kirkuk in an effort to push forward the local reconciliation efforts.

Iraq's constitution stipulates that a referendum should be heldby the end of this year on whether the city will join the neighboring Kurdish autonomous region. But such a vote has been postponed because of opposition from the Turkoman and Arabic residents.


U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari talk to reporters at a news conference in Baghdad, Dec. 18, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Rice said she also met with Steffan de Mistura, UN Special Representative in Iraq, saying that she believed there was much that the UN can do in Kirkuk and other issues.

The U.S. is seeking the UN mandate in Iraq for an extra year until the end of 2008.

About 100 Turkish troops entered Iraq's mountainous northern area early Tuesday going after the PKK rebels, a spokesman of the Kurdish border guards said.

Overnight, the Turkish artillery shelled two villages near the border in Duhuk Province bordering Turkey, causing material casualties, the spokesman said on condition on anonymity.

On Sunday, the Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes at some villages near the border in the Qandil mountains, killing a woman and wounding six others.

The U.S. is reluctant to see a large-scale Turkish incursion, fearing such a move would destabilizing the Kurdish region, which has been spared the relentless violence in the other area of Iraq.

Rice said the U.S., Turkey and Iraq share a common interest in stopping the PKK rebels, but warned against any activity that "threatens to destabilize the north."

"We have made clear to the Turkish government we continue to be concerned about anything that would lead to innocent civilian casualties or the destabilization of the north," she said.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, for his part, told the same press conference that "we believe any unilateral actions to destabilize the situation will harm Iraqi interests and Turkey's interests."
In protest of the U.S. tolerance of the Turkish military action, President of the Turkish region Masoud Barzani refused to meet Rice.

Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said the meeting would not be realized due to the "U.S. position regarding the Turkish attacks and bombings," noting that the U.S. allowed the Turkish warplanes to violate the Iraqi airspace.