Terrorists have been seeking to target Americans and Iraqis inside the Green Zone since the somewhat safe haven was established in Baghdad. The Green Zone, now referred to as the International Zone, has long been a security dilemma. After Saddam Hussein fled, a host of Iraqis moved into the area, which under the Americans became known as the Green Zone. With security checkpoints at the entrances, attacks took place on the roads leading to and from the Green Zone as well as the vehicles lined up to be checked before entering. The Green Zone has nightly been the target of small arms fire, rockets, and mortar attacks by insurgents and terrorist. On October 26, 2003 the Rashid Hotel was attacked with rockets killing one American soldier (Terrorist Incident). Abu Musab al-Zarqawi attacked targets waiting at the entrance points to the Green Zone to be checked and cleared. Zarqawi?s network, on January 18, 2004, used a suicide car bomb, which detonated at the main gate killing 25 individuals (Terrorist Incident). Later he released videotape of this, and other attacks, to instill fear in people working inside the Green Zone and to aid his global recruiting efforts.

Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks within the Green Zone have shown that terrorists have been able to deliver IED?s inside the secure haven. This may have been accomplished by bringing the devices in piece meal and assembling these devices once inside. Just one week ago, an IED was discovered inside the Green Zone. With about 10,000 Iraqis living within the Green Zone, their free movement inside has been halted, and there are now internal checkpoints. Most recently, two suicide bombers attacked the caf? and vendor area just blocks from Saddam Hussein?s Republican Palace (Terrorist Incident).

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