Baghdad 2010

Telecommunications tower in Baghdad, taken from my room in the Al Rasheed Hotel. The hotel gained fame during the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War when CNN conducted their newscasts from the hotel, propelling the network's senior war correspondent Peter Arnettto the apex of journalism fame. Between the Persian Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the building was the main housing facility for Western businessmen and diplomats, as well as foreign press.

After the invasion, the hotel was converted into a base for the Coalition and the American military. On October 26, 2003 twenty-eight 68 mm and 85 mm Katyusha rockets were fired at and struck the hotel, killing Lieutenant Colonel Charles H. Buehring and injuring 17 others.

An additional 12 rockets failed to fire and remained in their tubes in the improvised launcher which was located less than 250 meters from the hotel. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was staying in the hotel the night of the attack but was unhurt..