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“Earlier this year we could not come to this area,” said Mr Tah. “It is thanks to the Fardh al-Qanoon plan,” he said, referring to Baghdad’s joint security plan, which translates as “Imposing the Law”.

Down the road from the park, a line of restaurants that overlooks the river is also experiencing a turn in fortunes. Two months ago an 8pm curfew meant that few people bothered to go out to eat, but at the start of the holy month of Ramadan in mid-September the curfew was pushed back to midnight.

“Business is growing every day,” said Diya Masef, the manager of al-Iraq Restaurant, as he surveyed groups of diners settling down to eat outside on plastic chairs and tables. Young men were gathering to smoke hookah pipes and drink tea.

“I had to buy 150 extra chairs to keep up with the growing demand,” Mr Masef said, noting that he serves 300 to 500 customers a day compared with about 100 a year ago.

People overwhelmingly credited the Iraqi Army and police, rather than the US military. Maha Yousef, a 36-year-old mother of two, said: “We thank the brave leaders of the Iraqi forces, especially the Iraqi Army.”

The atmosphere of calm has encouraged parents to allow their children to walk to and from school. “I can also go outside the house to study with my friends or play until 9pm,” said 14-year-old Raed Saleem, who was previously under strict orders to be home by 4pm. “I pray for Iraqi people to keep living in peace.”

Quelling the violence

— No foreign nationals have been kidnapped in Iraq since May

— 165,000 Iraqi troops have been trained and are operational, equal to the total size of the US force

— 194,000 Iraqi police on the streets

— Iraq has a quarter of a million internet subscribers, up 20 times on prewar levels

Source: Brookings Institution

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