In this photograph released by the US Army, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, right, and 1st Infantry Division Commanding General, Maj. Gen. John R.S. Batiste discuss progress in Iraq, at Forward Operating Base Danger in Tikrit, Iraq, Friday, Dec. 24 2004. (AP Photo/US Army, Spc. David Dyer)
In this photo released by the US Marines, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, on a surprise Christmas Eve visit talks to Marines and Sailors of Bravo Surgical Company, 1st Medical Battalion,1st Force Service Support Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at their base in Fallujah, Iraq, Friday Dec. 24 2004. (AP Photo/USMC, Cpl. K.T. Tran )
In this photograph released by the US Army, soldiers from Task Force 1-18 Infantry pose for a group photo with US Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld at Forward Operating Base Danger in Tikrit, Iraq, Friday Dec. 24 2004. (AP Photo/US Army, Spc. David Dyer)
In this photograph released by the US Army, US Secretary of Defense, Donald H. Rumsfeld shakes hands with Spc. Ly M. Hoang, of Eden Praire, Minn. at Forward Operating Base Danger in Tikrit, Iraq, Friday Dec. 24, 2004. (AP Photo/US Army, Spc. David Dyer)
In this photograph released by the US Army, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald H. Rumsfeld addresses Task Force Danger Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Danger in Tikrit. Iraq, Friday Dec. 24 2004. (AP Photo/US Army, Spc. David Dyer)
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, on a surprise Christmas Eve stands with troops in their base in Fallujah, Iraq, Friday Dec. 24 2004. (AP Photo/Nick Wadhams)
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, on a surprise Christmas Eve stands with troops in their base in Fallujah, Iraq, Friday Dec. 24 2004. (AP Photo/Nick Wadhams)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld meets with Marines at a military base in Falluja, December 24, 2004. After visiting troops in Mosul and Tikrit, Rumsfeld went on to Falluja, where more than 80 U.S. Marines and more than 1,000 guerrillas have been killed in the past six weeks. Three Marines were killed in the area only on Wednesday. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY REUTERS/USMC/Cpl K.T. Tran-Handout
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld talks during his visit to a U.S.Marines camp near the Iraqi town of Falluja, 50-km (30 miles) west of Baghdad,on a Christmas eve, December 24, 2004. Rumsfeld visited the camp after meeting U.S. Troops in Mosul. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov