Rice set to defend U.S. policy on Iraq to lawmakers
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-10-19 15:31

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice faces tough questions by lawmakers on Wednesday over U.S. policy in Iraq where more than 150,000 U.S. troops are fighting a bloody insurgency.

Rice is set to testify on U.S.-Iraq policy at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the same day that former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein goes on trial in Baghdad for "crimes against humanity."

Despite violence that shows no sign of abating, State Department officials said Rice was expected to stress the Bush administration's view that progress is being made, citing last weekend's relatively peaceful referendum as an example.

Iraqis last weekend voted in a referendum for a new constitution and while final results have not been announced, the charter was expected to have been passed. Elections are scheduled for mid-December.

The Bush administration has come under strong criticism from Democrats in particular for not doing enough to stabilize Iraq and of botching up rebuilding programs aimed at winning over angry Iraqis after the March 2003 invasion that led to Saddam's ouster.

Wednesday's testimony follows a series of Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings in July that were aimed at improving U.S. policy towards Iraq.

A strong focus was placed on doing a better job of training Iraqi forces so they could take over more duties from U.S. troops and ultimately lead to their return home.

Rice is also likely to answer questions on Syria, which Washington accuses of destabilizing Lebanon and of fanning the insurgency in Iraq by allowing foreign fighters there. Damascus strongly rejects these allegations.

"It (the hearing) is focused primarily on Iraq. If there are any questions related to Syria, she'll be ready to answer them," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

In a week long visit to Europe and Central Asia last week, Rice lobbied Paris, London and Moscow to take tough action against Syria, both over Iraq and also for alleged meddling in Lebanese affairs.

On Tuesday, Rice held an unscheduled meeting with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York where Syria and Lebanon were at the top of the agenda.

That meeting was held ahead of the scheduled release on Friday of a U.N. report into the assassination last February of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. The United States and others suspect Syrian involvement in that killing, an accusation Damascus has strongly denied.