BAGHDAD—The Iraqi government marked the first anniversary of Islamic State’s defeat Monday by reopening parts of Baghdad’s Green Zone, the heavily fortified government area that has come to symbolize the chasm between ordinary Iraqis and the political class.
The changes at the Green Zone reflect declining violence across Iraq that is particularly tangible in Baghdad, where for years people lived in fear and navigated a city carved up by concrete blast walls. However, it may take more than symbolic changes for the government...