April 12 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. has no exit strategy or timetable for withdrawing its forces from Iraq and a pull-out depends on the readiness of the Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said.
``We don't have an exit strategy, we have a victory strategy,'' Rumsfeld said in Baghdad during a surprise visit there, according to a pooled broadcast report from the capital. ``The goal is to help the Iraqi Forces develop the skills and the capacity to provide their own security.''
Rumsfeld arrived in the Iraqi capital today to meet with interim President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Ibrahim al- Jaafari, Captain Darren Luke, a spokesman for the U.S. military, said by telephone from Baghdad.
Rumsfeld will press Talabani and al-Jaafari to continue moves toward democracy, the Associated Press reported. The new administration needs to avoid delays on political and security improvements, AP cited Rumsfeld as telling reporters on the flight to Iraq.
``It's important the new government be attentive to the competence of the people in the ministries and that they avoid unnecessary turbulence,'' Rumsfeld said, according to AP.
The defense secretary's visit, which wasn't disclosed until his arrival for security reasons, comes a day after a joint operation by hundreds of U.S. and Iraq soldiers, who stormed some 90 locations in central Baghdad. Sixty-five terror suspects were detained in the search.
Rumsfeld visited Task Force Baghdad that took part in yesterday's operation, the unit's spokesman, Clifford Kent, said in a telephone interview. He declined to give further information.
