European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                June 2007 stars and stripes Page 7 defense Secretary Robert Speaks with Bismillah head of the afghan National army and a former ant soviet in Afghanistan on monday during Gate strip to the Middle Robert visiting Gates says iraqis need to move faster the associated press Kyrgyzstan de sense Secretary Robert Gates gave the iraqi government a gentle prod tuesday to move faster toward political reconciliation during the american troop build up in we would certainly be happier if there were faster Progress on the political Gates told reporters during a joint news con Ference with kyrgyz defense min ister Ismail he noted that the iraqis had missed a May 31 deadline for passing a hydrocarbons Law one of Many political obstacles yet to be the draft which sets ground rules for iraqi Oil must be endorsed by the Cabinet and then go to the parliament for final said Oil ministry spokesman Assem we Hope the ratification of this Law will be achieved no More than one month from this Law is considered a major nation Al project and jihad Gates was asked whether it appeared to him that and iraqi forces were making slow Ertha expected Progress in establishing Security in Baghdad As news reports have indicated in recent he said he had not seen any Early projections by David the top commander in of How Many neighbourhoods were expected to be cleared of insurgents by this Gates stopped in Bishkek to consult with kyrgyz officials about the use of an air base outside the where cargo and refuelling planes Are stationed for operations related to the War in sol Diers also transit through the Manas air base on their Way to of Gates was in Afghani Stan on gourmet italia the Pursuit of excellence in your commissaries an archaeologist is the Best husband a woman can have the older she the More interested he is in Agatha Christie cooking courses on the Mediterranean diet info   Radu Atio under cover of Wall is built by Monte Morin stars and stripes construction of a three mile blast Wall in one of Baghdad most troubled neighbor hoods was completed following three months of grueling labor and heated protests from iraqi residents and government the which consists of thousands of 12footbigh Concrete or rings much of Adham Yah an Island of sunni families in Baghdad predominantly shiite East engineers with the 82nd airborne divisions 2nd brigade combat team lowered the final 7ton slab into place in the Early morning darkness of May according to a military statement is sued commanders say the Barrier will make Adham Yah a safer neighbourhood by restricting in coming and outgoing vehicle traffic to several guarded the project is part of an Over All attempt by forces to quell sectarian Vio Lence in the embattled the plan triggered harsh criticism from both sunnis and who saw Darker motives in the Walls while some compared it to israels West Bank Security others insisted the project was part of a larger plan to Divide the City into a Maze of gated commanders insisted that this was not the Case and that the Wall was a temporary Security troops worked at night to build the endur ing attacks from insurgents and hauling Concrete barriers and work equipment Down roads heavily mined by Roadside in one the Bri Gades Billy Don was shot and wounded by a sniper while inspecting the were Eric a Pla Toon Leader with the 2nd acts 407th support Bat was quoted As saying in the were tired of seeing that Wall every but in the we did we were Able to fight through the Road Side bombs and the publicity and everything else and got it Adham Yah sits on a Peninsula on the East Bank of the Tigris and has suffered frequent rocket and mortar attacks by shiite militias based across the River or in neighbourhoods to the although construction of a Wall would not Stop mortar or rocket commanders decided the Wall was a Good Way of preventing sectarian Mur Der squads or car bombs from passing in or out of the yet much Barri ers have been constructed throughout particularly in Market areas that have suffered at tacks from suicide car commanders said the Wall is already proving of the number of murders reported in Adham Yah has dropped 61 percent since construction according to Jared a spokesman for the 1st 26th infantry Reg the unit that oversees we will be in the Community with an ear open As to How people feel about the As Well As How it is improving Purcell were con stantly going to be reevaluating the Wall to make sure it is providing maximum Security with mini mum disruption to Peoples the military announced the project in a lengthy press release in Early but commanders were unprepared for the publicity storm that sunni residents and clerics accused forces of herding them into a Concrete prison and claimed that the Wall would Only make them More vulnerable to sectarian shiites also criticized the Radical cleric Muntada a Sadr said its construction showed the evil will of the coalition and called for Demontra at one iraqi prime minister Nouri Almalik ordered a halt to the Walls but later backed off on that claiming that he responded to exaggerations in Media the new american ambassador to Ryan publicly defended the soldiers constructing the Wall said they didst know what the fuss was All Brumfield said he was shocked by the because he considered the Barrier no big its just like driving at Home where you have barriers beside the its no different from Brumfield said in tuesdays news email Monte Morin at  above army workers help place 12foothigh Concrete barriers along a Road in photos by Sean of the army Afghanistan Karzai Calls Iran very close Friend afghan president Hauld Karzai los Angeles times Afghanistan afghan president Hamid Karzai gave Iran his full embrace Mon saying it has been his coun try very close even As officials meeting with him Here repeated their accusation that iranian made weapons were flowing to Taliban Karzai made the remarks at a joint news conference following a meeting with defense Secre tary Robert Gates said he raised the Issue of the iranian munitions with but acknowledged that there was no evidence the iranian government was be Hind the alleged when asked whether he believed which has been mostly a benign presence in Afghanistan since the fall of the Tali had decided to change course and support its former Karzai gave an impassioned backing for the iranian govern he called it a Force for Good inside Iran and Afghanistan have never been As Friendly As they Are Karzai