Emily+P

You’re in the Zone   The Green zone, what’s that? Well, for those of you who do not know the green zone is another name for the “safe zone.” The Zone in the army that only people who go through all the check points, and are for the American’s, can get into. It is the safest place in Iraq.  The Green Zone is a 13-square-mile area of central Baghdad that contains the American military and civilian facilities and leaders, Iraqi government buildings, foreign embassies and other organizations. [|The Tigris River flows through the Green Zone]. The Green Zone is always going to be remembered as the Green zone, but it has now been changed to the International Zone.  Entry into the zone is tightly controlled. There is check points along the way, which are run by American’s. Although this is American’s territory about 5,500 Iraqis live in the area and another 50,000 or so work their way into it. This area however is run by American soldiers. The American Soldiers have not always owned this land though.  The region was taken over by American forces in [|April 2003]. This was some of the heaviest fighting in Baghdad. Few American soldiers were killed, but many Iraqis died. When the invasion was just beginning, Saddam and most of the other residents of the area fled fearing arrest by Coalition forces or reprisals by Iraqis. Although most of the ministry buildings had been destroyed by overhead bombs, this left a good number of buildings in central Baghdad abandoned. The Coalition Provisional Authority administrators, who arrived at the end of the invading force, decided that this left the buildings open to them. [|Even though the international zone is the safest place in Iraq, it has however, been attacked]. Its first attack was on September 27, 2003. Guerrillas struck at the Zone, firing three rockets or grenades at a Baghdad hotel filled with American soldiers and civilians. Only one hit the hotel and did some damage, but no one was hurt. The attack was on the Al-Rashid Hotel. The people who were staying in this hotel were US military officers, and civilian occupation officials. The grenades were fired at about 6:30 AM. The area was also attacked numerous times again.      The international zone has some important buildings in it. Some of them are still there, and others have been destroyed The following places are still located in the green zone: [|Coalition Provisional Authority] ,  [|Al-Rashid Hotel]  ,  [|Hands of Victory]   monument, Iraqi Monument of the Unknown soldier, Assassin’s Gate, Ibn Sina Hospital, and the Embassy of the United States in Baghdad. The Green Zone Café used to be in there but it was destroyed, reopened, and then closed. Also, the Green Zone Bazaar was destroyed. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Following this, there are also restaurants in the International Zone. There is a Burger King, Subway, a Pizza Inn, and a Green Bean Coffee Shop. There is also a place to buy TVs, DVDs, clothes, snacks, and etc. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">It is hard to determine what the boarders of the international zone are. Pretty soon it’s going to either expand, or get smaller. Also the green zone most likely is going to get attacked more, and it’s going to cause more problems over in Iraq. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">The International Zone it so important. Havening it is a very good idea. I mean if it wasn’t there, then it would be harder for soldiers to rest up. Also this area is for the American’s, and if they didn’t have it, then they wouldn’t be as safe. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">The red zone is the perimeter just outside though green zone. This is where a lot of the action is. There are people outside of it trying to get in the green zone. Also there are people trying to attack the green zone. The red zone is what we could call the danger zone. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">The red zone is important, but not as important as the green zone. It’s good to have the red zone, because without it you wouldn’t know if you were in the green zone or not. Also you wouldn’t know if you were in the area where most of the action is going on. In the red zone is where a lot of Iraqis are. Americans are also in the red zone though, patrolling to make sure people don’t try to make a sneak attack into the Green Zone. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Life is not easy over there in Iraq, but with the Red Zone, and the International Zone it makes it just a little bit easier for the Americans. It doesn’t make it a day at the beach, but the International Zone is a big help to them. Without it, we may have last more American’s then we already have. The Americans put up a big fight to win this land over, and they are not going to let it go. They are in the Zone, and there staying there.

Works Cited Green Zone, __Wikipedia__//.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green Zone// Mathews, George D. “Life Outside the Wire”, June 6, 2006. __MSNBC.__ //<http://onthescene.msnbc.com/baghdad/2006/06// Nivat, Anne. “Life in the Red Zone. The Hell of Baghdad.__International Herald Tribune__. July 18, 2007.<//http://www.iht.com/2007/07/18/opinion/ednivat.php// Sarhan, Afif. “Baghdad’s Green Zone Turns Red.__Islam on line__.<http://www.islamonline.net Weybright,Charlotte A.”The Behemoth of Baghdad__”. Berry Street Beacon__. June 1, 2007 .<http://berry street beacon.files.wordpress.com/2007/05