BAGHDAD — The city of Baghdad was once the Rome of the Islamic world, possessing a beauty that did not deteriorate with age. Now, policymakers are once again observing the city — which has not abandoned its reputation as one of the most dangerous in the world — in an attempt to foresee the future of the Middle East.
At the famous Baghdad airport, memories take one back to the spring of 2003. Here, the fall of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein began. Today at the airport, rumors are spread daily by activists opposed to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government. They say Maliki's government has fallen in a bid to convince the public that Maliki is vulnerable and about to be ousted.