Pack your bags for Baghdad? Iraq looks to tourism

[gatorboy]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_tough_sell

In reality, Iraq has been a no-go zone for most civilian aircraft for almost two decades. First, there were U.N. sanctions after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Then U.S.-led forces toppled the dictator in 2003, and violence engulfed the country.

Yet, now that insurgent attacks and sectarian bloodshed have ebbed over the past year, Iraq's government is beginning to promote tourism. It will be a tough sell — and even if officials can grab the attention of the adventuresome, Iraq's tourism facilities are shabby.

<snip>

Iraq is thinking about more than pilgrims, though. Last week, officials displayed tourism posters and said they are intent on attracting visitors to Iraq's fabled archaeological sites, many of them looted and damaged in fighting. But they offered few specifics about how they would do that.

And the venue of the forum? The heavily guarded Mansour Melia Hotel, where a suicide bomber blew himself up in the lobby a year ago, killing a dozen people, including Sunni Arab leaders who had turned against al-Qaida in Iraq.

[billyoc]

1. "See it like a native!"

[itsrobert]

2. Time for the churches to flood Iraq with their Christian Youth Minitries Tours

Time to see little Buffy and little Chet go out and save the world.

[billyoc]

3. Religious pilgrims can visit the "Oil Ministry Miracle", completely undamaged

after 5 years of war! :rofl:

[billyoc]

4. The kids will LOVE the petting zoo...

[StClone]

5. Sadly, Iraq was one of my most wanted destinations.

And hoped Saddam would be replaced by a sensible leader. Iraq, the cradle of civilization, is now a place I would never think of going, hazardous nuke waste and all. The former cradle is now a grave.