Four years ago Fallujah was a main hub for the growing Sunni Arab insurgency and was the place where Iraqi men rejoiced on March 31, 2004, as the bodies of U.S. soldiers were suspended from a bridge over the Euphrates River.

The governments of Anbar and Baghdad reportedly have spent millions of dollars on Fallujah's reconstruction. The city's streets are now lined by restaurants, Internet cafes, bakeries and many other shops, the Times said.

"Fallujah has gone through a metamorphosis -- these people want their lives back. Fallujah has its soul back," U.S. Marines Lt. Col. Christopher Dowling told the Times.

There are still struggles ahead for the city such as the need for more police, electricity shortages, usable water and fuel, unemployment and a small but persistent group of insurgents possibly planning an attack, the Times report said.