A fragile stabilitydraws a trickle of tourists

Anna Nikolaevna, 38, a Russian national, and Nemec on a walking tour in the ancient city of Babylon, Iraq. — Reuters

WHEN Jacob Nemec’s family heard he was planning to go on holiday in Iraq, they pleaded with the 28-year-old American to reconsider.

“I got a text from my grandma for the first time in five years saying – being your grandmother and to respect me – I would appreciate if you don’t go. I got crying phone calls from my mum,” said Nemec, a warehouse supervisor from Reno, Nevada.