Iraq

	Baghdad Baghdad, and it really was a war. In the background, a building that was just blown up - rocket, bomb, or, as the ministry said, a gas explosion. I gained extensive experience in uncertain conditions. This was during the Iran-Iraq war: air raids were frequent, unpleasant roadblocks were the norm, and even the roof of the Al-Mansour Melia hotel (8 years later, used to house western hostages) had an anti-aircraft battery. Standing at the pool during air raids, looking at the flak (you get blasé after a while) was something else.
	Nineveh A winged bull in Nineveh. This was an Assyrian protector spirit. Others can be found in the Louvre and the British Museum.
	Nineveh Nineveh is the precursor to the current city of Mosul. The 12 cuneiform tablets with the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the world's great works of literature, were found here in the 19th century.
	Samara This photo of the spiral minaret at Samara was developed for me by the Iraqi security service! They confiscated the film after I was nearby with a camera when a bomb attack hit the Baghdad information ministry (see above), but were kind enough to give me back the developed film. I can tell you stories... I have always been lucky.