Iraqi archaeologist Hai Katth Moussa said that during a massive reconstructionproject in the early 1980s, Saddam began building a replica of the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II on top of the ruins of the ancient palace.
For their part, many European countries are committed to support financially the action plan that UNESCO is currently developing for the reconstruction of destroyed heritage and the preservation of manuscripts - a project that Norway also supports.
The biggest project, to the tune of around 30 million euros, is the reconstruction of the abandoned 19th-century military base south of the Old Town into a 21st-century cultural platform.
New York's Department of Transportation has incorporated into its project planning a simple computer tool developed by The Nature Conservancy to highlight areas where reconstruction will have the greatest benefit for wildlife.