Trepidation: Michael Holmes - seen in a flak jacket - entered Baghdad in 2003 to a reception that ranged from suspicious to joyful
My Tour Of Duty In Iraq From Beginning To End: CNN Newsman Gives Exclusive Account Of Conflict, Fall Of Saddam And Withdrawal Of U.S. Troops -- Daily Mail
Since the fall of Baghdad, Michael Holmes has spent many months on the ground covering the conflict, from the chaotic aftermath of the invasion and the capture of Saddam Hussein through to the formation of a new government. As the last of the American forces in Iraq leave this week, the brave CNN reporter offers an insight into daily life in the ravaged country.
When we entered Baghdad in April 2003, you could take your pick of moods to observe. The exhaustion on the faces of the marines who’d fought their way there from Kuwait, the joy of many 'liberated' locals, the looks of suspicion and outright disdain from many others.
And that was before the looting started and Baghdad looked, from my room at the Palestine Hotel, as if it were on fire.
It was the first of what was to be a dozen trips to Iraq during this now-ending war (well, ending for the Americans, at least). Some of the visits were less dramatic than others, but all involved death and suffering.
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My Comment: The Iraq war will obviously be an assignment that Michael Holmes will never forget. I wish him luck in his next one.