US Marines searched rooms today at the Baghdad hotel that is home to most of the foreign journalists in the city and apparently took some people into custody.
Spokesman Sgt Jose Guillen confirmed soldiers had entered the Palestine Hotel but declined to give details of the operation.
"This building wasn't 100 per cent safe and we are making sure it is," he said. "There weren't any gunshots or anything but intelligence thought it wasn't 100 per cent safe".
It was unclear how many rooms were searched in the 18-storey hotel, which overlooks the River Tigris from the eastern banks.
