For 15 years, most Iraqis have been unable to access the heart of
Baghdad. But the tall concrete walls and barbed wire that have closed
off the Green Zone for years are finally coming down.
The Green Zone, a 10 square kilometre area in central Baghdad, has been partially open to the public since December 10 for a two-week trial period that is likely to become permanent.
Cars are now allowed to traverse the area from 5pm to 1am along the 14th of July Road, a key thoroughfare that extends from the 14th July Bridge - also known as the hanging bridge - and connects the city's east and west.
However, side roads where Iraqi officials are based
remain closed and government buildings and foreign missions continue to
be under heavy security and surveillance.
Following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the neighbourhood was cordoned off by the US military, which set up its headquarters there, at former ruler Saddam Hussein's palace. As the area later hosted the US embassy and the Iraqi parliament, the Green Zone became a symbol of the US occupation and the estrangement felt by many Iraqis towards their government.
The Green Zone, a 10 square kilometre area in central Baghdad, has been partially open to the public since December 10 for a two-week trial period that is likely to become permanent.
Cars are now allowed to traverse the area from 5pm to 1am along the 14th of July Road, a key thoroughfare that extends from the 14th July Bridge - also known as the hanging bridge - and connects the city's east and west.
Following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the neighbourhood was cordoned off by the US military, which set up its headquarters there, at former ruler Saddam Hussein's palace. As the area later hosted the US embassy and the Iraqi parliament, the Green Zone became a symbol of the US occupation and the estrangement felt by many Iraqis towards their government.
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