STIRRING THE DRINK:

Rice and Straw in Baghdad talks (BBC, 4/02/06)

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw have met Iraq's leaders for talks during a surprise trip to Baghdad.

The pair travelled on an unannounced visit from the UK, where Mr Straw hosted Ms Rice's two-day trip.

The talks with Iraqi PM Ibrahim Jaafari and President Jalal Talabani come as Iraqi politicians are struggling to form a government of national unity. [...]

There is mounting pressure on Mr Jaafari, of the majority Shia alliance, to stand down as prime minister.

He has failed to win the support of minority Kurds and Sunnis and now faces opposition within his alliance.

Last week senior Shia politicians said US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, had told them President George W Bush "doesn't want, doesn't support, doesn't accept" the retention of Mr Jaafari.