Rumsfeld arrives in Qatar on second leg of Gulf tour

　　US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeldarrived here late Sunday on the second leg of his Gulf tour.Rumsfeld is expected to make an inspection at the US CentralCommand war headquarters in Qatar.

　　He was in the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) earlierin the day for talks with UAE officials on possible re-arrangementsfor US military presence in the Gulf.

　　Neither Rumsfeld nor Central Command chief Tommy Franks haspledged the downgrade of some 150,000 US troops in the Gulf, wherethe US military began deployment after Iraqi invasion into Kuwaitin 1990.

　　Rumsfeld's Gulf tour came at a time when the US-led war againstIraq is coming to an end.

　　He is reported to include Iraq in his ongoing trip, but theschedule is not disclosed for security reason.Defying international opposition, the United States and Britainlaunched a war against Iraq on March 20, and the coalition troopsousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein after 20 days of offensives.

　　(April 27, Xinhuanet)