US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Baghdad yesterday, on an unannounced visit, in order to talk to US military commanders stationed in Iraq about security measures that need to be imposed across the country so that the new upsurge of violence is contained, Reuters informs.

Rumsfeld stated that the Iraqi security depends on two crucial things that relate to the political success of the Iraqi government but also to the military defeat of the insurgent groups. In an interview with reporters accompanying him in Iraq, Rumsfeld stated: "We're at a point now when the security situation depends as much on the reconciliation process and on the strengthening of (government) ministries. Success in those areas will determine the success from a security standpoint. It's as much a political task as anything".

The reason why Rumsfeld stated that talks on security matters need to be held with all American military officials in Iraq is because the violence has not decreased, but on the contrary, it has intensified, in spite of the fact that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki imposed tight security measures and curfews in Baghdad, deploying thousands of troops on the streets, in order to crack down on insurgency.

Rumsfeld added that many parts of Baghdad do not experience that many violent incidents, yet the government must continue to urge people to accept the reconciliation process so that violence is reduced. This message was also delivered to US troops at a military base in Balad where Rumsfeld had made a stop before heading to Baghdad. When asked about the right solution to cutting violence in Iraq by a US serviceman, Rumsfeld replied: "The solution to that is not military," he said. "The solution is a reach-out to Sunni Muslims, a minority in mainly Shi'ite Muslim Iraq".