Photos

Security has been on a heightened state for the past several days anyway however, today was marked by an extreme amount of precautionary activity both on and off the Green Zone.

As it turns out, the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell made a suprise visit into Baghdad late this morning, apparently at the same time that I was walking near the convention center and saw what could only have been his heavily armed motorcade.

In any case, this increased activity was also apparent around the Palestine and Sheraton Hotels where a coalition provided police helicopter made repeated passes around the Sheraton Hotel. It would come in low over the blast wall from the river and then literally scale to the top of the hotel and then roll around for another pass over the river. All the while, a mercinary was hanging out either side with their weapons at ready and, I would imagine, they really must have been enjoying the ride.

This is a cropped shot of them at the top of the roll.