In an effort to cease sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shiites in Baghdad, the U.S. and Iraqi troops have begun building a three-mile long concrete wall around a Sunni neighborhood in the city — a strategy that is garnering mixed reaction abroad and widespread condemnation in Iraq.

The wall will separate the Adhamiya district of Baghdad, a predominantly Sunni area, from adjacent Shia districts. The U.S. says the wall, which it began constructing on April 10th, will make the neighborhood more secure and lessen violent conflict among Iraqi civilians. Construction of the wall is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month.

Both Iraqi president Jalal Talabani and prime minister Nuri al-Maliki have opposed the new tactic, with Maliki,” stating that the Iraq wall reminded him of “other walls,” an apparent reference to the Berlin Wall in Germany.

While reaction to the wall has been largely negative in Iraq — one resident of Adhamiya told CNN that the wall would make his neighborhood a de facto prison — bloggers in the U.S. and elsewhere have offered varied responses.

Tony of the Blue State argues that the Baghdad wall is nonsensical. Who in their right mind would think a wall would be a good idea?” asked Tony. “The Americans can’t decide whether a fence along the Mexican border is a good idea, and that’s where people are coming in illegally. So Bush decides to build a wall in the capital of country where the citizens aren’t too crazy about us being there in the first place?”

Munaeem, a Pakistani blogger, agrees. Accodring to Munaeem, a wall separating ethnic groups is incompatible with efforts to establish a unified Iraqi democracy. “The US tactic of...

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