Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, on Wednesday laid out what she called the US strategy for preparing “a permanent Iraqi government for decisive victory” but rebuffed senators who asked how long this might take and when US troops would start to come home.

Her testimony to the Senate foreign relations committee was eagerly awaited for information on how the US planned to deal with the worsening insurgency and weak central authority as Iraqis prepare to elect a new parliament in mid-December. But senators appeared disappointed with her reluctance to lay out a clear path for the future.