Iraq's damaged Babylon hopes for revival

By Andrew North BBC News, Babylon, Iraq

A replica of the Ishtar Gate dominates the entrance to Babylon's ruins
Beneath a patch of stony, desert ground on the River Euphrates, surrounded by date palms, many of the secrets of the cradle of civilisation are still waiting to be uncovered.
But the site of ancient Babylon in Iraq - with its legendary hanging gardens and the Tower of Babel reaching to the sky - has suffered under Saddam Hussein's rule and years of conflict.
Parts have been looted, altered or built on, and some of the historic soil has even been used by US coalition soldiers to fill sandbags.
Iraq's former ruler left the biggest mark, recreating his own version of Babylon on top of some of the original ruins, parts of which date back more than 4,000 years.
Today, the site itself is peaceful, almost forgotten, with only a few sleepy guards and the manager there to greet us when we arrive.
It is 85km (55 miles) south of Baghdad. But getting there means passing through one of the most dangerous parts of Iraq - the so-called "triangle of death" just beyond the capital.
It is a bit quieter now, with Iraqi army and police checkpoints every mile in places.
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