The president's last throw

HAIFA STREET evokes more dread than almost any other place in Baghdad. Its long gully of battle-scarred buildings, leading almost to the gates of America's fortified Green Zone, encapsulates the city's violent recent history. As a young man, Saddam Hussein found refuge in the area; later, he housed many of his top loyalists there. When the dictator was deposed, it became a stronghold of Sunni insurgents. American troops called it “Purple Heart Boulevard”, expecting to get killed or wounded on it.