Rumsfeld plans new Afghan visit

The US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, says he plans to visit Afghanistan and some unnamed neighbouring countries in the near future.

Mr Rumsfeld was last in Afghanistan in December, shortly after the fall of the Taleban and the formation of an interim government under the leadership of Hamid Karzai.

Officials in Washington said Mr Rumsfeld intended to discuss the progress of the American-led war on international terrorism when he met the Afghan authorities and other regional leaders.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service