IN DEPTH:

Iraq: A Glimmer of Hope

A land wracked by violence on the one hand, the third largest oil reserves on Earth on the other. Iraq is still taking a long time to settle down, but investors are already starting to see its potential. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki is visiting Berlin today - and one of his aims is to attract German business to his country.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki The violence in Iraq still claims hundreds of lives every month, and kidnappings - especially of foreigners - remain a frequent occurence. Although the growing global energy crisis means Iraq is growing in importance, Iraqis continue to flee their homeland in droves. In the first six months of this year alone, some 3500 of them applied for asylum in Germany.