Bringing Back a Dying Baghdad Street

[Rose Siding]

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It has been 17 months since U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq pledging, among other things, a better life under democratic rule. But people who live and work on Abu Nawas Street say in many ways, life for them is worse now. They are weary of the suicide bombings, the mounds of garbage and long power outages. They say they no longer believe the promises of reconstruction, despite the signs of slow but measurable progress on Abu Nawas Street.

The street, named after a 9th-century Persian poet, is a treasured place for many Iraqis. Raad Adreeb, 28, said he and his friends used to hang out on Abu Nawas every night after work. "We'd go to the casino or the restaurants to play cards or dominoes," said Adreeb, who owns a shoe shop on Abu Nawas filled with sandals and shoes strung from the ceiling. "We'd stay out until two, three or four in the morning."

The street declined during the 1990s under economic sanctions and the often erratic rule of then-President Saddam Hussein, who closed the park to the public after deeming it a security risk to his palatial headquarters directly across the river. By the time the United States and its allies invaded last year, the park was in a sorry state. But fixing it was not a priority for the U.S.-led occupation authority, which focused on larger reconstruction challenges such as restoring electricity to the country.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24821-2004Aug22.html

Saddam closed down his park to protect the palace from security risks. Is the US public still allowed into Lafayette Park, across from the WH? I read that many of the streets are closed and it's surrounded by bollards for security purposes.