European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 16, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 stars and St rip e s june 2007 Gates visits rejects criticism of Petraeus by Lolita Baldor the associated press Baghdad defense Secretary Rob Ert Gates made a Surprise visit Friday to Iraq and expressed support for the top commander saying the military was not trying to paint an Overly optimistic Pic Ture of How the War is its a very mixed Gates told re porters on his plane when asked whether the military and David Petraeus were offering realistic assessments of the Vio Lence in where the number of troops has been increased Over the past few i have every Confidence in general Petraeus and in his ability and willingness to Call it As he sees Gates Gates arrived in Baghdad late Friday night to meet with military and iraqi political this is his fourth trip to the country since taking Over As defense chief in december his most recent Stop Here was in the additional five combat brigades that make up the recent troop buildup Are now All in As part of an increased Effort to stabilize the violence in Gates visit came As iraqi officials ordered a citywide Security crackdown after the bombing wednesday that toppled the two minarets of the Sakariya Petraeus was criticized this week by Senate majority Leader Harry who accused the top commander in Iraq and Peter chairman of the joint chiefs of of failing to provide con Gress a candid assessment of the Iraq on his Way to defended saying he Doest pull any the Pentagon plans to focus this summer on calming Baghdad in Hopes of enabling iraqi leaders to pursue political reconciliation and stabilize the which now is divided among warring factions of sunnis and Gates told reporters that he believes Mili tary leaders should have a Good sense by the end of the summer of the direction the country is but its too soon to say whether there will be a photos above Secretary of state condole Ezza Rice says the Hast determined when and if it makes sense to meet again with Iran to discuss improving Security in right iranian foreign minister Manouchehr walking with iranian president Mahmoud has signalled a willingness to talk foreign minister says iraqis want 2nd meeting by Edith Lederer the associated press United nations Iraq is planning a second meeting with american and iranian officials on improving Security in the War torn nation As a followup to talks last month that broke a 27year diplomatic Iraq foreign minister said Hishyar Zebari said in an inter View with the associated press that he thinks the meeting will take place in weeks rather than months hopefully with More senior officials than the ambassadors who met in Baghdad on May 28 to give the new talks More having the meeting take place for the first time in 27 years in Iraq and on one subject that iraqi Security i think was a major Zebari he said Iraq is already discuss ing the time and venue of the next gathering with both sides and will soon invite them to iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Motoaki indirectly Sig Zebari naked Iran interest in continuing the talks after discus Sions sunday in Tehran with iraqi Deputy prime bar Ham Secre tary of state condole Ezza Rice was More saying in an a interview last Friday that we Haven determined when and if it makes she said Iran recent detention of at least four americans is unwarranted but will not Stop Washington from trying to engage Iran on other including its disputed nuclear program and alleged sup port of insurgents in Motoaki said Iran was also will ing to continue talks despite the detention of five iranian officials in Iraq in the military has said the iranians Are suspected of links to a network supplying arms to insurgents an accusation that Iran has de insisting they were Diplo Iraq has appealed for the re lease of the iranians and Zebari said we Are hopeful they would be especially during that when their status will be reviewed by the Mili tary because they have been detained for six he Zebari said releasing the Irani ans will help in Confidence build ing and preparing the ground for further we Are hopeful that the Ameri cans have got our he in a new Zebari three iranian diplomats were picked up wednesday by an iraqi patrol North of released after foreign ministry intervene and then picked up by an american Zebari said the foreign minis try was trying to get them re leased and the americans prom ised us that they would be re five afghan kids killed in nato Convoy attack by Fisnik Abrashid the associated press Afghanistan coalition and afghan forces clashed with suspected Tali ban militants in four separate Bat Les in Southern Leav ing at least 24 militants while a suicide car bomber target ing a nato Convoy killed five children and a dutch officials said in the a coalition member was killed in a Battle Early the suicide car bomb blast in tiring Kot in uru Zgan province targeted a nato Convoy but killed five children As Well As a dutch said Eimert Van Middel the dutch defense three dutch troops and three afghan civilians also were wounded after the bomber drove a car out of a Side Street in tiring Kot and detonated the explosives near a dutch armoured officials some dutch troops Are involved in a reconstruction mis Sion in Southern it was the second time a dutch sol Dier was killed in a bombing in Afghanistan and the seventh dutch fatality since the Mission started last three died in Avia Tion one in an armoured car crash and another in an apparent purported Taliban spokesmen have warned afghan civilians to stay away from military saying militants dont intend to kill but suicide bombings commonly kill or wound far More civilians than their intended Mili tary a fact nato repeat edly Points in neighbouring Zabul coalition and afghan troops killed a few militants and detained three others Dur ing a raid on a compound in Shah Joy the coalition during a Brief firefight at the two civilians were caught in the one male teenager died of gunshot wounds and another boy was evacuated for medical in Eastern a coalition service member was killed during a clash in Patika prov Ince a coalition statement the soldiers nationality was not but most troops in the East Are Marine defends killings of 3 Brothers at Laditha Camp a Marine Lance Corporal accused of executing three unarmed iraqi Brothers in Laditha told a hearing officer thursday that he killed them after two of them pointed ak47s at him while he searched their Home for i kept firing until my Magazine was empty because i didst know if they had body Armor or suicide Lance Justin Sharratt told the hearing officer at his article 32 preliminary As i fired at the other insurgents in the i Felt As though they were coming toward the statement was so Sharratt was not required to answer questions from six accused in fort Dix plot plead not guilty six men accused of plotting to attack soldiers at fort Dix pleaded not guilty thursday As a Federal judge promised to have the trial wrapped up by the end of the District judge Robert Kugler set a tentative trial Date of 13 and said he hoped the trial could begin by Early he if the government is not Able to prove this they should not be in i want to get this prosecutors said the trial will last about four Mueller must face detainees suit new 11 terrorist attacks did not free the govern ment to mistreat prisoners and engage in ethnic and religious Dis Crimi a Federal appeals court said in refusing to excuse former attorney general John Fri director Robert Mueller and others from a lawsuit brought by a former the 2nd circuit court of appeals in Manhattan said it fully recognized the Gravity of the situation confronting government investigators after the 2001 attacks and agreed that some forms of government action Are permitted in emergencies that would not be proper from the associated press