But his visit was marred by a series of bombings across Iraq in which 34 people were killed and scores wounded -- the deadliest when a female suicide bomber blew herself up in a crowd of people at a Ramadan feast in central Iraq's Diyala province, killing 22 people.

Gates flew in unannounced to watch General David Petraeus hand over command to his former number two General Raymond Odierno on Tuesday, turning the page on a historic chapter that saw US troops surge into Iraq to avert a civil war.

Gates highlighted the central roles played by Petraeus and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker in making Iraq "a more hopeful place," awarding them medals for distinguished service.

"Through their leadership Iraq has been utterly transformed," Gates said during a dinner at Petraeus' headquarters in a former Saddam Hussein-era palace on the outskirts of Baghdad.

"Their individual achievements, accomplishments are stunning and also self-evident."

Turning to the two men, Gates said: "For tonight, take a bow and accept the esteem and admiration of a grateful nation."

"It's been one heck of a ride, buddy," Crocker said to Petraeus after receiving the Department of Defence Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service, its highest honour.

Gates earlier drove into Baghdad in a sandstorm, his armoured SUV wedged into a convoy of Mine Resistant Armoured Protected Vehicles (MRAPs) on a once deadly airport road, to meet Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Gates's eighth visit as defence secretary also coincides with negotiations over a controversial security pact to govern the presence of US forces in Iraq when their UN mandate expires at the end of the year.

But there was no indication after meetings with Maliki and his defence minister that the issue was any closer to resolution.

"We are clearly on a mission in transition," Gates said on the flight to Baghdad.

With levels of violence down to around four-year lows after an 18-month "surge" in US forces, President George W. Bush last week announced plans to send 8,000 troops home by January.

"There is no question we will still be engaged as we are, but the areas in which we are seriously engaged will I think continue to narrow," Gates said.

"And the challenge for General Odierno is how do we work with the Iraqis to preserve the gains that have already been achieved, and expand upon them even as the number of US forces are shrinking."

Responsibility for security of 11 of Iraq's 18 provinces has already been turned over to Iraqis, and Gates said a couple more would probably join them by the end of the year.

"So it's a transition from a focus on the surge brigades and the surge strategy to more Iraqi units in the lead, and us in more of an overwatch role," he said.

Gates credited Petraeus's "brilliant strategy" and its implementation by US troops and field commanders for the success of the surge.

"I think he's played a historic role. There is just no two ways about it," he said.

Odierno, an early proponent of the surge, implemented it as the corps commander in Iraq from December 2006 to March 2008, which Gates said made him the right person to replace Petraeus.

Gates said the US troops cuts announced by Bush, which will still leave more troops in Iraq than before the surge, were an acceptable risk.

"I think one of the major changes in the debate that we've had about Iraq is that now it is about pacing of the drawdowns. I think there should be deference to the commanders in the field on that score," he said.

Lieutenant General Lloyd Austin, the number two US commander in Iraq, said levels of violence have declined by 80 percent over the past year, and that roadside explosions were down by about half.

But Austin said that if the security situation takes a bad turn and more troops are needed, "then we would ask for those forces."

"And certainly as we redeploy forces out of theatre on the things that would always be foremost on our minds, if something happens how we can get something back to help us out," he said.

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