The security situation has improved so much in the capital, Baghdad, that authorities are now preparing to reopen the controversial 'Green Zone' -- an area in the city center which was closed off to local residents by the US military 15 years ago. Our reporter Xinri Fu has this.

The Green Zone is also known as the international zone, and it is the location of many governmental organs and foreign embassies, guarded by International Coalition and Iraqi troops. As the Green Zone takes a large area in the city center of Baghdad, traffic around have been quite crowded. Many Iraqi people hold a negative attitude to its presence.

MAJ. GEN. HAMED AL-LAMI CHIEF OF STAFF, BAGHDAD OPERATIONS COMMAND "This street has been closed since 2003, and now we are planning to open it to ease the traffic jam in surrounding areas. The buildings and parks along the river will be accessible to citizens, too."

The demolition project has been running well with one third of the target fulfilled in just 3 days. Newly inaugurated Prime Minister Mahdi considered this a nice gesture for the residents, and also a sign of getting closer to the local communities. However, some of the officials and diplomats might suggest their concern on the security. Maj Gen. Lami assured that this would not be a problem. In the past year, the security situation in Baghdad and even the whole Iraq has been turning better. The decision to open this street is also the result of rational discretion.

MAJ. GEN. HAMED AL-LAMI CHIEF OF STAFF, BAGHDAD OPERATIONS COMMAND "The walls are gone but our intelligence work would be sufficient. There will be multiple rounds of evaluation on the security status along with the military forces; we will take action based on the evaluations to ensure safety before opening an area."

Currently, there are still a few sleeper cells in the desert in West Iraq, and the security forces are conducting regular inspections. Baghdad has seen a fairly good situation for several months with little terrorist attacks, and that is the reason for the government to make such a decision. The complete opening of the Green Zone is also expected to happen in the near future.