We've got some great men in Iraq. This story is just too good for words:

But Lieutenant Colonel Steven Russell isn't nervous. He believes he has the best protection.

"If God doesn't intend for me to die in Iraq then nothing the enemy can do will make it so," he told Reuters.

"I have a strong belief in Jesus Christ as my lord and saviour."

Meet the man who heads the search for some of Iraq's most dangerous guerrillas in Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit, a grim place that only has dust and flatlands in common with Russell's native Del City, Oklahoma.

He is not your typical tobacco-chewing American soldier with nude centrefolds hanging in his barracks.

Russell is a deeply religious family man who believes good old-fashioned American discipline and prayers will help lead him to Saddam's hardcore supporters.

"The diehards will just have to die hard," he said in an interview, sitting in one of Saddam's former palaces as American soldiers grunted and lifted weights nearby.

UPDATE: This man should be a General.

“In retaliation, American troops backed by Bradley fighting vehicles swept through Iraqi neighborhoods before dawn , blasting houses suspected of being insurgent hideouts with machine guns and heavy weapons fire.
“ ‘This is to remind the town that we have teeth and claws and we will use them,’ said Lt. Col. Steven Russell, commander of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment.”
--AP story, Nov. 8, after Black Hawk copter goes down.

“ ‘They are not allowed to go around kissing pictures of Saddam in this city,’ Russell said. ‘It will not happen.’
“Afterwards, Jaburi and Russell interviewed a middle-aged man in traditional Arab clothing who they suspect of inciting demonstrations.
“ ‘Look me in the eye. Let me make some-thing very clear,’ the American officer told the man over tea at the governor’s office.
“ ‘If our ears and eyes see and hear you are connected with demonstrations, and anti-coalition activities you will be going to jail for a very long time.’
--Reuters, Dec. 16

posted by Yoshi at 11:10 PM

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