[eddie]

Thanks for the clarifications. Still, the State Department guys should have been more protective of the boundary and of a citizen, and State should have made it very clear to the Saudi Ambassador and to all embassies that that type of behavior is not tolerated. It should not have depended on a slip-up in communication.

As soon as they arrived, it was clear that the DC cops, and State Dept guys, were there to protect me. I was immediately surrounded by them, as I laid on the ground. They didn't draw guns, but they circled me (wagon train style) facing towards the guards. The whole incident, from the arrival of the guards, to the arrival/apology from the Secretary, to getting back to taking photos was only about 12-15 minutes. I think the US/DC authorities were very professional, and I felt completely safe once they arrived. I don't know how they could have been "more protective".