Rusafa Courthouse, Baghdad: the 'Second Green Zone'

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing construction of five such courthouses throughout Iraq. The Karkh Courthouse is nearing completion in western Baghdad and the others are in Mosul, Basrah and Erbil.

“These facilities are critical to enforcement of the rule of law,” explained Navy Cmdr. Joseph Mauser, the Corps of Engineers’ security and justice sector lead in Iraq. As an interim measure, a temporary courthouse has opened at Rusafa.

“As the case load continues to grow, having a permanent facility with sufficient capacity becomes increasingly important,” Mauser said.

Apart from the courthouse complex itself, Rusafa also will have a facility where up to 5,400 accused individuals will be housed awaiting their arraignment or trial dates. The entire area is surrounded by concrete barriers similar to the International Zone located on the other side of the Tigris River, and the many involved in the project have started calling it a second Green Zone -- this one the “Rule of Law Green Zone.”

Source: MNF-I

The facilities provide the Iraqi government with the security and space needed to ensure the future of Iraq is free from criminal tyranny and increases their ability of maintaining a more democratic society.