"...At one end of the small room is 25-year old Ayman. He wears a warm-up jacket, his right hand tucked in the pocket. His left hand cradles a 9mm pistol. Around his neck are silver dog tags and religious charms, talismans given to him by U.S. Marines. One is St. Michael, the patron saint of police and protection.
Across his chest is a holster with another pistol. In a country where a pistol is a status symbol, Ayman has two because he cannot reload quickly enough in a firefight. He was kidnapped in Ramadi in 2004 by men who held him for 89 days and then chopped off his right hand and his left leg.
'It`s not just me. I lost a lot of friends,' says Ayman, reluctantly recalling the experience. 'We`ve got a lot of people who lost a leg. They are in Haditha, (and in) al-Qaim.'
To Tracy`s right is Col. Faroq Tayeh Hardan, 37, the police chief. He has also paid a steep price for standing up....
Col. Faroq`s brother and another policeman were kidnapped on the road to Bayji. The attackers cut off his brother`s head and put it on a stake in the middle of the traffic circle, a warning to Faroq and any others who would oppose them. The body of Faroq`s brother has never been recovered.
'I come out here and Faroq`s in tears, and tearing his hair out and saying `we`re all gonna quit. I can`t believe I cast my lot with the coalition!' Tracy said.
Tracy asked him what he wanted to do.
'He said, `Let`s go. I know where the number one al-Qaida guy is.` '
After months of attacks on his station and an ongoing firefight at his base Col. Faroq only had 10 officers left....
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