Village where US razor wire cuts deep

FOR two months, this village, blessed with orange orchards and date groves, has been surrounded by a razor wire fence.

The enclosure is a story of how Americans have used tough measures in their bid to defeat an ugly nine-month insurgency.

But the US military commander in this area has also introduced an even more radical measure, demanding that 126 tribal leaders sign a contract to stop the violence in their tiny Iraqi farm village or go to jail.