U.S. Sends in Secret Weapon: Saddam's Old Commandos

By Alastair Macdonald, Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6933057
excerpt:
"The hardest fighters we have are the former special forces from Saddam's days," Colonel Ron Johnson, commander of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, told reporters late on Friday.

Praising their local knowledge and fighting skills, Johnson singled out one man who fought against him at Nassiriya, the hardest battle of last year's brief war against Saddam's army.

"If I could have an Iraqi security force guy who's honest, reliable and dependable, it's worth five Marines," he said.

"They're aggressive, they're tough," said Captain Tad Douglas after a raid in the town of Latifiya on Saturday in which the bulk of his force was an Iraqi police "SWAT team."

more..