The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff’s visit comes as the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is trying to form his cabinet ahead of a December 25 deadline.
The United States’ top officer Admiral Mike Mullen was in a surprise visit to Baghdad on Monday, an American army spokesman said.
The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff's visit comes as the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is trying to form his cabinet ahead of a December 25 deadline.
Captain Dan Churchill confirmed Mullen’s arrival in a US military press officer, but without giving any further details of the visit.
Nearly 50,000 American troops remain stationed in Iraq, after combat forces withdrew from the country several months ago.
Washington declared an official end to combat operations in Iraq at the end of August, and said it is due to withdraw completely from the country by 2012.
On the other hand, and according to sources with knowledge of the cabinet negotiations, the interior minister will be an ally of Maliki while the defense minister will be from ex-premier Iyad Allawi's rival Iraqiya bloc.
Maliki was named premier-designate on November 25 and given 30 days to form a government. No new administration has formed in Iraq since the country held elections on March 7.
The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff's visit comes as the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is trying to form his cabinet ahead of a December 25 deadline.
Captain Dan Churchill confirmed Mullen’s arrival in a US military press officer, but without giving any further details of the visit.
Nearly 50,000 American troops remain stationed in Iraq, after combat forces withdrew from the country several months ago.
Washington declared an official end to combat operations in Iraq at the end of August, and said it is due to withdraw completely from the country by 2012.
On the other hand, and according to sources with knowledge of the cabinet negotiations, the interior minister will be an ally of Maliki while the defense minister will be from ex-premier Iyad Allawi's rival Iraqiya bloc.
Maliki was named premier-designate on November 25 and given 30 days to form a government. No new administration has formed in Iraq since the country held elections on March 7.
