Next morning, Baghdad International Airport.
A Qatar Airways Airbus A320 taxied on the runway and slowly docked in the cargo area away from the main terminal.
The cabin door opened, and five men in civilian clothes disembarked one by one.
They looked like ordinary business travelers or NGO workers, wearing casual pants, polo shirts, light jackets, and carrying regular carry-on luggage and travel bags.
But upon closer inspection, there were some discordant details.
These individuals were unusually fit, with muscles in their shoulders and arms straining against their clothes; their steps had a rhythm and alertness unique to soldiers; their eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, assessing each exit, each cover, and each potential threat.
Leading the group was a white male around forty, his shaved head slightly reflecting the airport lights, his physique as imposing as a moving fortress.
