Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Serves Up Christmas Dinner

US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, garbed in a white chef's hat, served up a sumptuous Christmas repast for US troops at their base in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. "What can I get you?" he asked the soldiers who had a choice between lobster, steak or crab and were proud to have their picture taken with the secretary."Let there be no doubt," he said to them later as they sat at their tables. "If the United States was to withdraw from Iraq today, the terrorists -- emboldened by victory -- would attack us elsewhere in this region and at home in the United States." He warmly thanked the soldiers for their service in Iraq and to their country. "In the long struggle between freedom and tyranny, freedom ultimately prevails. It prevails because of the dedication and perseverance of those wearing America's uniforms," he said. Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq on Thursday. He announced Friday that United States would be reducing its troop strength in Iraq by two brigades, around 7,000 soldiers, during the spring of 2006. With the conclusion of the meal, Rumsfeld was scheduled to leave Mosul for the United States.