US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday for an unannounced visit to review the war against the Islamic State jihadist group.
Hagel, who is due to step down from office shortly, is to be briefed by US military commanders and hold talks with his Iraqi counterpart as well as Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
Soon after he landed, Hagel spoke to a group of US and Australian troops and thanked them for their efforts. He told them the United States and its allies can help the Iraqis in their fight against the Islamic State (IS) group but that the outcome of the campaign would ultimately depend on the Baghdad government.
