, which comes after a spate of rocket and suicide bomb attacks raised fears for the Catholic leader's safety.
Pope John Paul II came close to visiting, but had to cancel a planned trip in 2000 after talks with the government of then-leader Saddam Hussein broke down. Francis will also visit Ur, birthplace of the prophet Abraham who is revered by Christians, Muslims and Jews, and meet Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric, 90-year-old Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.Interior ministry special forces and the army will set up a security cordon around the pope wherever he goes, while the air force will operate drones around the clock to monitor the routes he will take.
About 10,000 security personnel will be deployed to protect Francis, who may travel in armored cars in what would be a departure from the norm for him. Christians are generally excited about the historic trip, seeing it as a sign of solidarity after years of persecution, threats and exodus."We appreciate that he's coming, but I don't understand why there is so much attention given to this trip," said Nour Ahmed, 21, a university student in Baghdad.
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