Green Zone

Also known as the International Zone of Baghdad, it is a fortified area in the centre of Baghdad, Iraq. It was set up in 2003 during the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, as a highly securitised governmental centre for the Coalition Provisional Authority. Although it was fully handed over to Iraqi security forces in 2009, the Green Zone remains an international haven of sorts, housing the US and British embassies, among others. Despite its purpose of being the “safest area of Baghdad,” it is regularly a target of rocket attacks and bombings by militias.

« Back to Glossary Index