Al-Asad Air Base, Iraq, Oct 10, SPA -- U.S. Defense SecretaryDonald H. Rumsfeld greeted U.S. Marines at this dusty airfield in Iraq's western desert Sunday morning, telling themit was unlikely the United States would pull out any troopsbefore next year's elections. It was his first visit to Iraq since its interim government was installed in June. Rumsfeld had breakfast with senior Marine leaders,including Lt. Gen. John Sattler, the top Marine in Iraq,and Major Gen. Keith Stalder, commander of the 3rd MarineWing, which is based at Al Asad, one of the biggest airfields in the country. Rumsfeld then gave a pep talk and fielded questions at a"town hall" style meeting with about 1,500 Marines. "We're so fortunate to be able to count on you in thistime of peril," Rumsfeld said to applause as he stood at amakeshift podium inside an aircraft hangar. Insurgents, he said, were likely to increase the level ofviolence between now and the elections in January, so itwas unlikely the U.S. military could withdraw any troopsbefore then. "Our hope is that as we build up Iraqi forces we will beable to relieve the stress on our forces and see areduction in coalition forces over some period of time,probably post-Iraqi election. But again, it will dependentirely on the security situation here in this country,"Rumsfeld said. It was Rumsfeld's sixth trip to Iraq but his first toAnbar province, which includes portions of the so-calledSunni Triangle north and west of Baghdad.--SPA1059 Local Time 0759 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/209819