European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 20, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 stars and stripes april 20 2007 Gates to iraqis us presence is by Lolita c Baldor the associated press fal Lujah Iraq defense Secretary Robert Gates slipped into Iraq thursday to warn iraqi leaders that the us commitment to a military buildup there is not open ended Gates said the political tumult in Washington Over financing the military presence in Iraq shows that both the american Public and the Bush administration Are running out of patience with the War in sympathetic with some of the challenges that they face Gates said of the iraqis Dur ing his Surprise visit but he said the clock is ticking Gates added frankly i would like to see faster Progress he said that the iraqis need to push through legislation on Politi Cal reconciliation and sharing Oil revenues if s not that these Laws Are going to change the situation immediately but i think the ability to get them done communicates a willingness to work together he said that in turn would Cre ate an environment in which Vio Lence could be reduced underscoring the urgency in controlling the violence police said a suicide car bomber rammed into a fuel truck in Cen trial Baghdad Only hours before Gates arrival killing at least a dozen people the attack came a Day after one of the bloodiest Days in Baghdad since the us troop increase began nine weeks ago with four strikes killing More m sympathetic with some of the challenges that they face but the clock is ticking f 9 defense Secretary Robert Gates speaking to iraqi government on a Surprise visit to Baghdad than 230 people it is very important they make every Effort to get this done As soon As possible Gates said not ing that an attack last week by a suicide bomber on a cafeteria at the iraqi parliament inside the unguarded Green zone made people particularly nervous after Landing in Baghdad Gates flew by helicopter to Camp fal Lujah for a briefing by Gen David Petraeus the commander of us forces in Iraq and Gen Peter Pace the joint chiefs chairman fal Lujah where us marines make up the Bulko Theus Force is a stronghold for sunni insurgents but com Manders there have been say ing violence has dipped and they Are optimistic about Progress in Western Iraq Gates who stopped in Iraq on a trip through the Middle East also planned to meet with iraqi Politi Cal leaders his visit the third to Iraq since taking Over As defense Secretary in december came a Day after Bush met with congressional leaders to discuss the impasse Over legislation to provide funds for the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan Gates said the White House has not asked him whether there is a Compromise on a deadline for withdrawal from Iraq that the us military could accept three of the five brigades or dered into Iraq by president Bush to Stem Baghdad violence have arrived bringing the us forces in the country to 146000 officials want the rest in place by june for a total of 160000 had a us Soldier secures the scene following an explosion thursday in Central Baghdad a suicide car bomb exploded in mostly shiite District killing at least 12 people and wounding 34 police said despite Security crackdown bomber kills 12 in Baghdad by Lauren Frayer the associated press suicide bomber breached Baghdad heavy Security presence again thursday killing a dozen people in a mostly shiite District a Day after More than 230 people died in one of the wars deadliest episodes of Vio Lence prime minister Nouri Almalik called the violence in Baghdad an open weeks into a used Effort began to pacify the capitals streets despite new barricades and checkpoints erected As part of the Security crackdown a fraction of the cars in Baghdad a City of six million residents Are searched at All Many suicide car bombs explode at checkpoints either targeting iraqi troops or detonating a moment before they Are discovered the bombing killed at least 12 people and wounded 34 police said two iraqi soldiers were among the fatalities it is an open Battle and will not be the last in the War we Are fight ing for the Sake of the nation dig nity Honor and the people Almalik said in a speech at a cer Emony marking the 50th anniversary of the founding his islamic Dawa party they attackers have proven their spite by target ing humanity the us military also an us deaths in Iraq the associated press As of wednesday at least 3311 members of the us Mili tary have died since the begin Ning of the Iraq War in March 2003 according to an associated press count the figure includes seven military civilians at least 2691 died As a result of hostile to the military numbers the a count is two higher than the defense departments tally last updated wednesday at 10am since the Start of us military operations in Iraq 24764 us service members have been wounded in hostile action according to the defense depart ments weekly tally the latest deaths reported by the military no deaths reported the latest identifications re ported by the military army staff sgt Robert j Basham 22 Kenosha wis died saturday at Camp As say Livahin Doha Qatar of noncom Bat related injuries assigned to the Headquarters and head quarters Battery 1st battalion 126th Field artillery regiment Kenosha wis army pfc Richard p Langenbrunne 19 fort Wayne ind died tuesday in Rusta Miyah of injuries from a non combat related incident As signed to the 2nd battalion 69th Armor regiment 3rd brigade 3rd infantry division fort Ben Ning a bounced three More troop deaths two soldiers killed wednesday by a Roadside bomb North of Bagh dad and another Soldier killed the same Day in a Small arms fire attack in a southwestern area of the capital meanwhile the islamic state of Iraq a coalition of sunni insurgents including Al Aida in Iraq issued a video thursday purport ing to show the killing of 20 kid napped iraqi police and soldiers shot in the head execution style As they Knelt in a Row the group claimed to have abducted the 20 and threatened to kill them after 48 hours unless the government freed female prison ers and handed Over police accused of rapes in the Northern town of Tal afar the authenticity of the six minute video could not be in Dependently confirmed it was posted on an islamic militant web forum where the islamic state of Iraq has issued previous videos Alq Aidale insurgents announce islamic Cabinet for Iraq by Maymoun Youssef the associated press Cairo Egypt an insurgent coalition announced an islamic Cabinet for Iraq in a web video posted on thursday Nam ing the head of Al Aida in Iraq As minis Ter of War the announcement appeared to be a propaganda move by the islamic state in Iraq coalition to present itself As an alternative government opposed to the us backed shiite led administration of prime minis Ter Nouri Almalik the islamic state of Iraq is a coalition of eight insurgent groups the most powerful of them Al Aida in Iraq it was first announced in october claiming to hold Terri tory in the sunni dominated areas of West Ern and Central Iraq in thursdays video a Man identified As a spokesman for the group appeared with his face obscured speaking from behind a desk with a Fla screen computer it is the duty at our present stage to form this Cabinet the first islamic Cabi net which has Faith in god said the spokesman wearing Robes and a red Safiyyah headdress he then listed a 10member Cabinet including Abu Hamza a Muhajer As War minister a Muhajer is the name announced As the successor of Abu Musab Alz Aqrawi the Leader of Al Aida in Iraq who was killed in the summer of 2006 Al Aida in Iraq is blamed for some of the deadliest suicide bombings against Shi Ite civilians As Well As numerous attacks on us troops and iraqi soldiers and police the names listed by the spokesman were All pseudonyms and their real names were not known the islamic state is led by Abu Omar a Baghdadi who holds the title of Emir Prince of the faithful Sheik Abu Abdulrahman a Falahi was named As the Emir first minister the spokesman said other positions included ministers of information prisoners and martyrs agriculture and health the issuing of the video could also aimed at strengthening the islamic state of Iraq status among supporters after a rare pub Lic dispute Between it and other insurgent groups not part of the coalition in past week another sunni insurgent group the islamic army in Iraq has is sued statements accusing Al Aida of kill ing its members and trying to Force others to join its ranks a Baghdadi tried to Patch up the dispute by issuing a web audiotape this week calling for Unity and promising to punish any of his groups members who kill other insurgents