By Prensa Latina,
Baghdad : US Defense Secretary Robert Gates met on Saturday with Iraqi political and military officials during an unannounced visit, a few weeks after the approval here of a controversial bilateral military pact.
According to Al-Iraqia TV channel, Gates arrived to US-occupied al-Balad Air Base, in northern Baghdad, amid tight security.
The White House envoy also met with commanders of the US 147-strong contingent, whose presence will remain until late 2011 in the wake of an agreement recently approved by the local government.
Under the controversial pact, to be submitted to public referendum on June 30, the US troops will start gradual withdrawal in January 2010 from main cities and villages, with pullout scheduled to end by late 2011.
This was Gate’s tenth visit to Iraq as part of a tour also including Bahrain and Afghanistan.