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The SAS Are Coming To Play
Two SAS squadrons are to switch from Iraq to Afghanistan next year to mount one of the biggest covert operations for decades against the Taleban leadership and opium smugglers, who help to fund insurgents.They plan to mount a combined operation with the Special Boat Service (SBS), the Royal Marines equivalent of the Armys elite regiment, which is leading covert missions in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. The SAS served with distinction in Afghanistan during the early years of the campaign from 2001. It became involved in highly unusual formation assaults on the Taleban and al-Qaeda terrorists, and also in hunting for Osama bin Laden and drug traffickers. A decision was taken about three years ago, however, to divide up the roles of special forces, giving the SBS lead responsibility for covert missions in Helmand province, while the SAS took charge in Iraq. It has been operating from both Baghdad and Basra in the south of Iraq, where the rest of the British forces have been based for the past five years. Next year, as most of the 4,100 troops are withdrawn, the SAS will also be pulled out, but its expertise and unrivalled experience of covert missions against foreign terrorists and insurgents will be exploited to the full in southern Afghanistan. It will be joined by the other special forces support teams that have also played a vital role in Iraq in tracking down al-Qaeda and insurgent leaders: the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, which was formed out of 14 Intelligence Company, also known as the Det (Detachment), and the Special Forces Support Group, created from the former 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment, which provides back-up for SAS and SBS operations. The Special Reconnaissance Regiment, which has male and female members, is equipped with sophisticated high-tech surveillance kit. Its intelligence-gathering capability will be crucial in the battle with the Taleban. Elements of the regiment are already serving in Afghanistan, but the transfer of so much surveillance and covert operations experience will provide military commanders with a hugely expanded and more versatile special forces capability. Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-12-13 |
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