Iraq Sees a Revival

Open Market
In early 2006, a bomb ripped through the dome of the al-Askari shrine, one of the most sacred sites in Shia Islam, located in the Sunni city of Samarra, 65 miles north of Baghdad. The blast sent the country spiraling into a bloody sectarian war. But with recent military gains against al-Qaeda in Iraq, even insurgent-dominated Samarra is seeing some renewed stability. A few months ago, local authorities helped to re-open the city's main market street, pictured here. Still, discontent lingers dangerously among the city's predominantly Sunni population, who say they continue to be marginalized and ignored by Iraq's Shiite-dominated government.

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