Will Baghdad be reborn as a tourist destination? That's the dream of some developers who plan to create an international village inside the U.S. embassy complex in the Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq. ABC News reports that the U.S. military is pushing a five-year, $5 billion development plan to turn Baghdad's Green Zone into an area with a shopping center, condos and a soccer stadium. Navy Capt. Thomas Karnowski says a deal already has been completed for Marriott to build a hotel in the Green Zone. Obviously a lot needs to be done, Baghdad's infrastructure is in serious disrepair. There are also some significant questions as to land ownership as well as worries over who decides what businesses in are allowed to come in to the area. And as you might imagine, the issue of security is a huge concern. Certainly there is so much work to do that a five year trajectory doesn't seem like nearly enough time.
