Sheik Lawrence draws his name from his great-grandfather, who rode beside Englishman T.E. Lawrence during World War I. Tony Perry / Los Angeles TimesFrom The L.A. Times
Respect-inducing Sheik Lawrence, whose great-grandfather rode beside the famed Englishman in World War I, is the real deal in Iraq's Anbar province.
Reporting from Ramadi, Iraq -- Just like in the classic movie "Lawrence of Arabia," the man's eyes are piercing below his tribal headdress.
He looks straight at you with a determined, uncompromising stare. His word is law in his region of Anbar province. He allows no dissent in his tribe and is not opposed to using force to punish those he deems to be threats to him or his tribe.
There are many Sunni tribal sheiks in Anbar, but there is only one Sheik Lawrence. His authority and name are inherited from his great-grandfather, one of the Bedouin leaders who rode beside the Englishman T.E. Lawrence during the World War I fight against the Ottoman Empire.
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My Comment: If one hand a hundred of these men .... Iraq will be a very safe place in a few years.