US soldiers grill Rumsfeld over Iraq safety

Rumsfeld flew to Camp Buehring 20 kilometres (13 miles) from Iraq border, to face one of the toughest question and answer sessions with troops since the start of the Iraq war in March 2003.

"Our soldiers have been fighting in Iraq for coming up to three years, a lot of us are getting ready to move north pretty soon," said one soldier, who was cheered by the some 2,000 troops gathered in a hangar to hear from the US defence chief.

"Our vehicles are not armoured. We are digging up pieces of rusting scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass that has already been shot up, dropped, busted, taking the best for our vehicles to take into combat," he said.

Rumsfeld was also questioned by other troops about what would happen to the US force in Iraq after the planned January 30 election, about missing pay, and other worries over conditions.