[...]Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez played down the daunting problems facing his troops and the US administration here, and Iraqis' widespread complaints about the occupation.

''By God, I guarantee you we've made tremendous progress,'' Sanchez said at a news conference. ''We are way ahead of schedule.''

In southern Iraq, US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz, a key architect of the war, insisted that the United States is committed to rebuilding the country and stressed that bringing the regime's former leader to justice is a top priority. ''We're not playing any games with Saddam Hussein,'' Wolfowitz, on a four-day visit to Iraq, said in Najaf. ''The sooner we catch that bastard -- excuse me -- the better off everybody will be.''

Wolfowitz also visited the site of a mass grave in Hillah that is thought to contain the remains of thousands of Iraqis.

Also yesterday, US forces took the first significant step toward establishing a new 40,000-member Iraqi army. About 3,000 people, including some who fought against the Americans, lined up at Baghdad's airport to interview for places in the military. Coalition officials have said that the army will be vital to stabilizing the country.[...]