The secret police in Jordan are known as the Mukhabarat. They essentially combine the US CIA, FBI, and Secret Service into one all-powerful organization. They are quite feared by most people in the country, and that fear, whether justified or not, serves as a very powerful censorship tool. After Great Britain's MI5, the Jordanian Mukhabarat are America's closest intelligence ally in the world. As an American journalist living in Jordan, I have never been questioned by the Mukhabarat, though I've seen plenty. I was shooting the Minister of Interior for Al-Sijill magazine the other day. He is a very high ranking member of the King's cabinet, and accordingly, is protected by Mukhabarat. During the magazine's interview with the Minister, I walked around the compound rather freely looking for places to shoot his Excellency. I set up lights and did several test shots like the one above before finding a suitable location. The agent pictured above was very agreeable to being a model for these shots despite his look of disgust in this particular shot. I can't imagine a Secret Service Agent in the US being as amicable.
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