Rice urges reconciliation on Baghdad trip

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Iraq's leaders yesterday to use any lull in violence to push ahead with national reconciliation, adding that US patience would not last forever.

Rice spoke in a surprise visit to Baghdad in which she lauded initial gains by US and Iraqi troops in a military operation against militants seen as a final effort to quell sectarian bloodshed between majority Shi'ites and minority Sunni Arabs.

"This is a group of leaders that need to deliver," she said before meeting Iraqi leaders.

The top US diplomat met Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and Sunni Vice President Tareq al- Hashemi, and later told reporters she had urged them to speed up efforts towards reconciliation.

She also discussed finalising an oil revenue sharing law and holding provincial elections.

"The United States is investing a great deal, most especially the lives of our men and women in uniform and the American people want to see results and aren't prepared to wait forever," Rice said before wrapping up a half-day visit.

"(But) we are not saying to the Iraqis get it done by X date or else," she told reporters.

While major car bombings and death squad killings in Baghdad have declined, a double car bombing on Saturday at a crowded market in the northern city of Kirkuk killed at least 10 people and wounded 60, police sources said.