US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld paid a surprise Christmas Eve visit to four cities of Iraq Friday in a bid to boost the morale of the US troops after Tuesday's deadly attack in Mosul, while admitting the setbacks faced by the US army.

"All along the way, it is bumpy and it's tough ... It is not a smooth, easy path to success, there are setbacks," Rumsfeld said.

Despite the "setbacks," Rumsfeld still expressed confidence in defeating the insurgency and stabilizing Iraq, telling the US troops that the war could still be won.

Rumsfeld, who has been criticized as unfeeling toward the troops, told dozens of soldiers in Mosul: "I am deeply grateful to all of you. You will look back in 10 or 20 or 30 years and know you were a part of something very important.

"I respect you. I wish you all a merry Christmas."

US President George W. Bush also made Christmas phone calls to half a dozen soldiers in Iraq, thanking them for their "sacrifice."

VIOLENCE ENSUED

Soon after Rumsfeld's departure, an explosion killed at least two people and wounded at least 13 near the Jordanian diplomatic mission in western Baghdad. The blast appeared to be a fuel truck exploding and was a suspected suicide attack, police and witnesses said.

Police said the attack was probably caused by a suicide bombing.

The blast took place near the communication tower, known as Saddam Tower named after toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein within 200 meters from the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses the Iraqi government and US and British embassies.

On the same day, unknown militants attacked two police stations near the restive city of Baquba northeast of Baghdad, witnesses said.

The gunmen attacked the two police stations outside the city with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, they said. But they could not say whether there were any casualties.

US troops were seen fighting near one of the police stations.

Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, has long been a hotbed of insurgency against US troops and their allies since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March last year.

Source: Xinhua