SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from desert

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

Le Marteau said:

Firstly, I'm not anti-American. Americans think anyone who isn't pro-American, must be anti-American. That's a fallacy.

Secondly, there are statistics to prove it. CAG, or Delta, and the SAS do train together a lot, and they're both highly professional, as all special forces are. But you can look at the SAS's induction rates and drop out rates, compared to Delta, to prove my point.

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I have real world experience from this. And I can say more people join the SAS a year than in Delta Force. Delta Force most of the times goes with 0 new recruits a year. Whereas the SAS might get 10-20. So yeah. I don't know which one is harder since they both really do fight in different worlds.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

I tend to think SEALs are quite possibly the most well trained special forces in the world on top of even the SAS. Maybe it's cause they have a movie. Maybe it's cause 4/5 people who get it into don't make it through SEAL training. Colombia's AFEUR also should get a special mention on bravery alone. They quite possibly carry out more operations than SEALs and the SAS combined.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

Le Marteau said:

-- The SBS are tough lads, and they've got a reputation for bravery, but they're certainly not the most elite--

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High praise indeed from a Royal Marine.

Manc Skipper said:

-- I can't help wondering why they are being sent to rescue folk who went there for a tax free high-paid job --

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They weren't just there to rescue Brits and other foreign workers -they rescued the UK Govt from it's failure to get civilian airplanes in earlier in the revolution.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

I've never been in the special forces, but I've always heard of the SAS being the best. I think there is a lot of national pride at stake here, and that's understandable. But I'm going to cross the aisle, so to speak, and, as an American, admit that I've always heard of the SAS being the best.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

They all have different missions. There's no way to make a comprehensive comparison between any of them as to which one is the best.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

Infinite Chaos said:

High praise indeed from a Royal Marine.

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I try to put professional analysis above my allegiance to the Royal Marines. I love the Royal Marines, and I think they're one of the best marine services on Earth, but I gotta admit that the SBS is often considered what the SEALs are to Delta -- second rate special forces.

Still fantastic special forces operatives, though.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

Obviously, the better one had Captain Price.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

iamitter said:

Obviously, the better one had Captain Price.

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XD What a boss. Soap, too.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

Hatuey said:

I tend to think SEALs are quite possibly the most well trained special forces in the world on top of even the SAS. Maybe it's cause they have a movie.

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The SAS had a movie way before the Navy Seals...
Who Dares Wins A classic! :lamo

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

They also ensured that US special forces were allowed a part in Desert Storm.

"During the buildup to Desert Storm, General Norman Schwarzkopf had little regard for Special Forces, being a veteran of Vietnam, and Grenada, and as a result it seemed unlikely, that US Special Forces and the British SAS would be used. Fortunately, the commander of the British Forces, Lieutenant-General Peter de la Billière, was a veteran of the SAS, and a former commander of 22 SAS, who managed to convince Schwarzkopf that the very special skills of the SAS would be invaluable.

Shortly after Christmas 1990, the SAS, having been on standby for action for months, left for the Gulf, commencing the largest deployment of the regiment since 1945, with men from A, B and D Squadrons. However, no immediate role was seen for them, as US Special Forces had already taken the border reconnaissance roles. It was proposed instead, to use the SAS and Delta Force to rescue the hundreds of foreign nationals being held as hostages in Saddam Hussien's "human shield" policy. But, this was a logistical impossibility, as the hostages were held in various locations all over the country, and too many lives would be lost, both soldiers, and hostages.

By mid-January 1991, the British commander decided the SAS could be effective in creating diversion ahead of the main attack, destroying Iraqi communications facilities, and tracking down mobile Scud missile launchers, which, had so far evaded both air and satellite reconnaissance. The SAS were to undertake these operations on the night of 22/23 January, 6 days before the start of hostilities. But, events took people by surprise, and on 17th January, the air war began....

The SAS Operations in the Gulf

http://www.quikmaneuvers.com/thunder_on_the_euphrates.html

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

A SEAL team is in no way better than Delta and people who think that obviously have no real knowledge on the subject. Besides if a regular SEAL team was already the most elite force out there than why would there be any need for SEAL Team 6. kind of makes you wonder don't it.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

braindrain said:

A SEAL team is in no way better than Delta and people who think that obviously have no real knowledge on the subject. Besides if a regular SEAL team was already the most elite force out there than why would there be any need for SEAL Team 6. kind of makes you wonder don't it.

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Well Seal Team 6 is needed to fight JAWS. Regular Seal Teams are too cowardly to do that!

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

Le Marteau said:

But when dealing with special forces, which is a quite specific field of combat, the SAS is surely at the top.

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Why is 'special forces' specific. A green beret is special forces with a handful of specializations. Communications, medic, small arms, explodinator, and bigger arms or something. I don't feign to know so much about it but pulling solid snake and living on moles and desert mice while fenagling about the desert for a month is different than say, urban combat. Are they really comparable?

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

What a waste of taxpayers money.

No sympathy for British citizens stuck in Libya acting like it has only been horrible these past couple of weeks. What about before that when the people were being oppressed? No doubt that was okay as it did not directly affect them
Idiots. They should have been left there

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

Viktyr Korimir said:

Because they're your folk. In the end, nothing else matters.

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precisely. they're yours. a government is useless if it cannot protect it's people.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

Laila said:

What a waste of taxpayers money.

No sympathy for British citizens stuck in Libya acting like it has only been horrible these past couple of weeks. What about before that when the people were being oppressed? No doubt that was okay as it did not directly affect them
Idiots. They should have been left there

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interesting. and what is your opinion on social safety nets vis-a-vie people who lose everything?

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

cpwill said:

interesting. and what is your opinion on social safety nets vis-a-vie people who lose everything?

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If someone has paid taxes and then lose their job through no fault of their own and cannot find another. The State should help and I am happy to pay high taxes for others in need.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

Laila said:

If someone has paid taxes and then lose their job through no fault of their own and cannot find another. The State should help and I am happy to pay high taxes for others in need.

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hm... and if they lost all their money in the recent market crash?

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

cpwill said:

hm... and if they lost all their money in the recent market crash?

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Would have no sympathy but won't support withdrawing welfare support from everyone just because of a few who may not deserve it.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

Le Marteau said:

That's right. That's pretty internationally accepted. Can you think of anyone else?

The Spetsnaz are hard core, and they're probably the toughest, but as professional as the SAS? I think not.

The SBS are tough lads, and they've got a reputation for bravery, but they're certainly not the most elite.

Delta? Don't even try. Check out a book called Task Force Black, it's all about Delta and the SAS in Iraq -- Delta's not even in the same league.

The French Foreign Legion's an army unto itself, and so it isn't special forces, but the 22nd Parachute Regiment stands a fair shot -- they're still not the SAS though.

Who else?

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If the SAS is so damn good then how do you explain this????

Link

Up to eight British soldiers are being held by rebel forces in Libya after a secret mission to put British diplomats in touch with opponents of Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi, according to the London Times.

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Thats sloppy and downright embarrassing in the SF community to be captured by what ....rebels??? Not even the elite of the Libyan army, maybe even some were recently civilians and they get captured? I've never heard of this many American SF taken prisoner in any recent conflicts.

I may be biased because my brother is a Captain in the Green Berets but with the job they & other SF units did in originally taking down the Taliban & Al Qaeda, I dont see a more sucessful mission by anybody than that in recent times.

Re: SAS 'Blades' rescue 150: Crack team of commandos snatch terrified Britons from de

Iron Yank said:

If the SAS is so damn good then how do you explain this????

Link



Thats sloppy and downright embarrassing in the SF community to be captured by what ....rebels??? Not even the elite of the Libyan army, maybe even some were recently civilians and they get captured? I've never heard of this many American SF taken prisoner in any recent conflicts.

I may be biased because my brother is a Captain in the Green Berets but with the job they & other SF units did in originally taking down the Taliban & Al Qaeda, I dont see a more sucessful mission by anybody than that in recent times.

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Well you see. The SAS WERE TOLD to not engage. So yeah. Once you are spotted and captured and you are told NOT TO engage. Well that kind of leaves you vulnerable to being captured. I am sure if they were allowed to fight. They would not have been caught. Plus the people they were captured by were anti-Gadhafi so it can be resolved easily, hopefully. If not send in other SAS but this time to kill. And we will see how things end up.