BAGHDAD, Jan 15: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday praised political progress in Iraq during a surprise visit to Baghdad, saying it represented a “time of hope” in the war-torn country.

“Iraq is moving forward in a way that is promising but still fragile,” Rice told reporters after talks with Iraq’s leaders.

“I must say that from the time I was here a month ago I have also seen progress on the political front, particularly in the reconciliation that the Iraqi people themselves are carrying out at the grassroots front,” she said.

Rice said the “citzens’ determination to fight the extremists, the terrorists, the foreign fighters” was cause for optimism.

“I have also had discussions with the national leadership in my time here, and there seems to be a spirit of cooperation to move forward at the national front as well,” she said.

“This is a time of hope,” Rice added, pointing also to a key law passed by parliament that will allow former members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party back into public life.

The passage of the law at the weekend was one of 18 “benchmarks” Washington has set as measures of political reconciliation in deeply divided Iraq.

“Passing the Justice and Accountability Law is a good step on the road to reconciliation,” Rice said.

Washington’s top envoy went straight into talks with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on her arrival from neighbouring Saudi Arabia, where she had been accompanying US President George Bush on his Middle East tour.

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told reporters that Rice had congratulated Maliki on recent political progress.

“(She) expressed her satisfaction at developments that have helped in the political process, as well as the performance of the parliament, especially after the passing of the Justice and Accountability Law,” Dabbagh said.

A statement from Maliki’s office quoted the prime minister as saying that Iraq was are keen to build good relations with the United States and other countries.

“We are working to restore confidence and rebuild ties with the international community, politically and economically, and to rid the country of the effects of the wrong policies of the former (Saddam Hussein) regime,” Maliki added.

He said the government was now focusing its efforts on boosting the Iraqi economy and on reconstruction efforts, building on the security achievements of the past months which has seen violence levels drop significantly, as well as on political progress.

Rice, for her part, renewed US support for the Iraqi government “and its efforts to achieve security, stability and prosperity for all Iraqi people, and to regain full sovereignty and enforce the law,” the statement quoted her as saying.

“Bush and secretary Rice decided this would be a good opportunity for the secretary to go to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi officials to build on progress made and to encourage additional political reconciliation and legislative action,” US national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters in Riyadh.—AFP