At the behest of Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, US officials have agreed to stop the construction of a wall separating Sunni and Shia enclaves in Baghdad. The 5km, 3.6m-tall wall surround the Sunni neighbourhood of Adhamiya, billed by US planners as a necessary security measure, has prompted waves of protest from Sunni and Shia leaders. [AlJazeera, April 23] US officials have planned to extend the barrier-construction scheme to other neighbourhoods of Baghdad, including al-Rashid, al-Khadrah and al-Amiriya. Critics have panned the idea as destined to inflame sectarian tension in the country. [AlJazeera, April 18]

From Madrid11.net Security Briefs, April 23

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