The International Zone, Baghdad

The Green Zone / International Zone is a portion of Baghdad which previously housed Saddam's palaces and government headquarters - the IZ is all of the land area inside of that space that is bordered by the Tigris River on the East and south, and a series of concrete walls and baracades to the north and west. Now the IZ is not some large, free, happy protected area either. The space inside the IZ has been walled off even further into smaller compounds on either side of the road. There are checkpoints going into each compound (which they calls FOBs - (Forward Operating Bases) and there are also random checkpoints on the actual road. The compounds on the highway are manned by Iraqi police / military and the entrances to the FOBs and other compounds are private security - principally Peruvians and Ugandans - US military vehicles are expected to pause at the checkpoints on the highway but EVERYONE has to stop, show ID's and be scanned for bombs coming into the FOBs - particularly the one in which I live which is the main headquarters and houses all of the main Generals....The US embassy - the largest and most expensive one in the world is off limits to everyone that is not on the list...your US Passport is not sufficient to get you into the US Embassy in Baghdad...if you think that is overkill...there is currently a half-a-million dollar bounty on the head of any American - and kidnappings within the IZ occur with some regularity. You can not just go for a walk out of your FOB - and you should not go alone - preferably with an up-armored Suburban full of Green Beret Special Forces.