The top US military officer toured a bustling market on the outskirts of Baghdad on Saturday that is returning to normal as violence ebbs in Iraq.
Prosaic complaints such as a lack of parking have replaced fears of bombings for most merchants at the market in Abu Ghraib, a market town about four miles from the infamous prison of the same name.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the joint Chiefs of Staff, donned a helmet and flack jacket for a lengthy walk past stalls selling vegetables, childrens' toys and mouthwash.
One merchant complained to Mullen that security walls have cut off parking in front of his shop. The market is calm these days but a suicide bombing last May killed several people and wounded the intended taget, an Iraqi Army commander.