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Aussie PM pays tribute to secret warriors
Prime Minister John Howard has paid tribute to Australia's secret warriors to whom he has given more work and more money than any previous Australian government.Officially launching a new book on the Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment, Mr Howard said he felt a special obligation to the SAS, as well as all others in the defence force - because he had sent them into danger in Iraq and Afghanistan. "It is true that in the time that I have been prime minister the activities of the SAS have been the most intense since the time the regiment was formed," he said. As Australia's premier counter-terrorist force, the SAS has been granted vast resources over the past few years. Mr Howard said his associations with the SAS, most recently when the soldiers provided protection for his trip to Iraq late last month, had left an indelible impression. "They have left first and foremost the impression of that high derring-do courage which is so essential to special forces and so characteristic of how we like to depict ourselves as Australians," he said. "They have left the indelible impression of superb professionalism and, where necessary, discipline. They have also left a great impression of a humanitarian understanding of the role of a modern army." Army chief Lieutenant General Peter Leahy said much was asked of the Perth-based unit of about 500 highly trained troops. "The public know little of the Special Air Service Regiment and this is by choice and for good reason. We asked the men of the SAS Regiment to do difficult tasks, usually at short notice and in very complex, dangerous and often sensitive circumstances," he said. "This book lifts the veil of secrecy that surrounds the SAS ever so slightly." The book, The Amazing SAS by journalist Ian McPhedran, details the exploits of Australia's special forces soldiers in East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in the controversial MV Tampa affair in 2001. The SASR prides itself on its mystique and low profile. Mr McPhedran said he managed to convince senior officers and soldiers that their story should be told and the book is the product of hundreds of hours of recorded conversations. He said a group of Australian special forces soldiers was now preparing to return to Afghanistan. "Some may not return and it is my hope that under such tragic circumstances their families will be looked after properly," he said. "Things have improved in recent times in terms of compensation for war veterans but there is a long way to go. It is not good enough for families to have to rely on charities such as the SAS Resources Trust to make up the shortfalls." Posted by: Oztralian [AKA] God Save The World 2005-08-10 |
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