Deep Politics Forum

MoD silent over report of SAS men captured in Libya

Rebel forces, opposed to Colonel Gaddafi, are in control of much of eastern Libya
Continue reading the main story
The Ministry of Defence says it will not comment on a claim in the Sunday Times that members of the SAS have been seized by rebel forces in Libya.
The paper claims a unit was involved in a secret mission to put British diplomats in touch with rebels trying to topple Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
It says eight SAS men, in plain clothes but armed, were captured as they escorted the diplomat in eastern Libya.
In a statement, the MoD said: "We do not comment on the special forces."
The paper claims the SAS soldiers were taken to Benghazi, the rebel stronghold, where they are being interrogated.
The full statement from the MoD read: "We neither confirm nor deny the story and we do not comment on the special forces."
Meanwhile, Libyan state TV claimed troops loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi have made significant gains against rebel forces who have taken parts of the country in a two-week insurrection.
It said pro-Gaddafi forces had retaken the towns of Zawiya, Ras Lanuf, Misrata and even Tobruk - although those claims have not been independently verified.
The BBC's Jon Leyne in Benghazi says the claims go against all the evidence on the ground, unless there has been a sudden and dramatic swing overnight - of which there is no sign.
Regarding the SAS seizure claims, Geneva-based Human Rights Solidarity group said it was aware that a team of special forces had been seized by Libyan rebels but it did not know which country they were from.
Separately, a group of Dutch special forces was apparently captured by Col Gaddafi's forces in western Libya while trying to assist Dutch nationals to evacuate from the country.
Earlier, the MoD had confirmed Scottish troops were on standby to assist with humanitarian and evacuation operations in Libya.
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, is on a routine deployment notice of 24 hours at an RAF base in Wiltshire.
But they have not been earmarked for a combat role.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12658054

From what I can gather [mostly from Aljazeera] they were on a separate mission and are being detained to find out what the **** that mission was. Another group of British diplomats are in Bengazi now talking with the opposition leaders there - this was just confirmed by Aljazeera.

While there are 'good' things the British could offer, such as food and medicine, perhaps some intelligence from their sources; almost anything else they could or would offer, IMO, would be meddling and an illegal try to insert themselves and their master [USA] into Libya post-Gadaffi, to get the oil. this should have been a U.N. mission, not a U.K mission, IMO.

.....I don't think they are there for the beaches, sand nor Roman ruins......and certainly not for the average Libyian, except to the extent it benefits the UK, US and their allies. All of the popular revolutions and/or demonstrations had their root and basis in genuine local discontent[s] and real demands for freedom, democracy, a piece of the economic wealth, and end to autocratic rule, etc. That said, the 'Western Powers' are trying to 'turn' things to their selfish advantage. They care no more now for the Middle East having civil governments and justice for their citizens, than they have over the last decades. Note how they cheer the demonstrations in most countries there, but NOT those in Iraq...sort of gives it all away [although there are a thousand other ways to note this.] Things won't REALLY change, IMO, until the USA, UK and several other 'Western' countries have similar and bottom-up revolutions [hopefully peacefully].

It is now unclear if the SAS men captured and detained are the same as the 'diplomatic' team the British admit to being in Benghazi......they could be one and the same, or in some way connected - or two separate things entirely. [one truth and one lie - or two lies] It is being kept hush-hush by the British and the Opposition in Libya is too busy fighting off Gadaffi attacks at the moment to be bothered to clarify.

'SAS unit' captured in Libya

Defence secretary Liam Fox says 'small diplomatic team' is in Benghazi to talk to rebels

Martin Chulov, Polly Curtis and Amy Fallon
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 6 March 2011 11.27 GMT

The children of a soldier hold his guns in the air as pro-Gaddafi supporters gather in Green Square, Tripoli, Libya. Photograph: Ben Curtis/AP

The defence secretary, Liam Fox, has confirmed that a "small diplomatic team" is in Benghazi to talk to Libyan rebels but refused to confirm reports that any British nationals had been detained.

According to Guardian sources, a suspected British intelligence and special forces unit, which arrived by helicopter about four days ago, was caught near the town of Khandra, about 20 miles west of Benghazi.

A senior member of Benghazi's revolutionary council said: "They were carrying espionage equipment, reconnaissance equipment, multiple passports and weapons. This is no way to conduct yourself during an uprising.

"Gaddafi is bringing in thousands of mercenaries to kill us, most are using foreign passports and how do we know who these people are?

"They say they're British nationals and some of the passports they have are British. But the Israelis used British passports to kill that man in Dubai last year."

Rebel leaders claimed the captives were being treated well and would be released as soon as the British government vouched for their identity with the rebel command.

The news follows Sunday Times claims that an SAS unit was being held by rebel forces it had approached in an attempt to open up diplomatic channels to opponents of Muammar Gaddafi.

Fox refused to give any more details on the diplomatic team's mission in the eastern area of the country, which is controlled by rebel forces: "We are in touch with them but I'm not going to be giving further comment on that."

Whitehall sources said on Friday it needed to learn more about the leadership of the anti-Gaddafi forces and find out what logistical support they needed, but would not give arms to the rebels, as an international arms embargo was in place.

Fox said: "It is a very difficult situation to be able to understand in detail. There are a number of different opposition groups to Colonel Gaddafi in Libya who do seem relatively disparate.

"We want to clearly understand what the dynamic is here because we want to be able to work with them to ensure the demise of the Gaddafi regime, to see a transition to greater stability in Libya and ultimately to more representative government.

"So getting a picture of that is relatively difficult, as is widely reported. Communications are being interrupted, there are difficulties with mobile phones, with the internet potentially being interfered with.

"So we are trying to build a picture it's essential that the government does that and it's essential that all western governments do that so we are able to get a clearer idea of what we are able to do in terms of helping the people of Libya."

The Sunday Times reported Libyan and British sources confirming the SAS unit had been detained by rebel forces it had approached to secure a meeting with a junior diplomat to offer help in their fight against Gaddafi. The mission backfired when rebel leaders in Benghazi objected to foreign interference from governments which had not yet formally recognised them as Libya's legitimate rulers, it said.

Spokesmen for the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office refused to confirm or deny the Sunday Times report.

The international development secretary, Andrew Mitchell, refused to comment about the SAS unit when questioned on Radio 5 Live.

When asked if it was possible a diplomat was there for talks, he replied: "It is perfectly possible that the Foreign Office will be trying to open links with all the rebel forces there."

The foreign secretary, William Hague, urged Gaddafi to put an "immediate stop" to the use of armed force against Libyans.

"Given the continued levels of illegitimate violence within Libya we call upon Colonel Gaddafi to put an immediate stop to the use of armed force against the Libyan people," he said.

"He must hand over power without delay to a government which fully recognises the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people.

"The UK reiterates its support for the transition to a government that will deliver greater democracy, justice, transparency, human rights and accountability in Libya."

Heavy gunfire has erupted in Tripoli, with hundreds of Gaddafi's supporters pouring into the streets. Libyan authorities said the gunfire was to celebrate the recapture of cities including Ras Lanuf.

HA HA HA! The seven SAS soldiers were put aboard a British warship, the one British diplomat was allowed to stay and talk to the Opposition in Benghazi...how humiliating for the SAS!!!!! Coming uninvited was not a good idea!!!! Captured by rank amateur soldiers, against one of the most elite of special forces.....

Imperial thinking....:lol: The People can always win with enough will to..... [Hear that, fellow Americans?~!]

Update....No, they put the one with the diplomatic passport on the ship, as well! :lol: The mouse that roared sent the entire eight man secret mission 'packing' home to Londinium! A mission right out of Maxwell Smart....the purported 'diplomatic' mission met with no one and the vaunted SAS men were caught shortly after they were inserted by some stealth aircraft by the rag-tag ad hoc Libyan Resistance fighters, imprisoned for a few days.....then put on a ship home in disgrace! :kraka:

US military advisers in Cyrenaica
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report February 25, 2011, 1:46 PM (GMT+02:00) Tags: Cyrenaica Libya oil Qaddafi US military advisers

British HMS Cumberland puts into Benghazi port

Hundreds of US, British and French military advisers have arrived in Cyrenaica, Libya's eastern breakaway province, debkafile's military sources report exclusively. This is the first time America and Europe have intervened militarily in any of the popular upheavals rolling through the Middle East since Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution in early January. The advisers, including intelligence officers, were dropped from warships and missile boats at the coastal towns of Benghazi and Tobruk Thursday Feb. 24, for a threefold mission:
1. To help the revolutionary committees controlling eastern Libyan establish government frameworks for supplying two million inhabitants with basic services and commodities;
2. To organize them into paramilitary units, teach them how to use the weapons they captured from Libyan army facilities, help them restore law and order on the streets and train them to fight Muammar Qaddafi's combat units coming to retake Cyrenaica.
3. To prepare infrastructure for the intake of additional foreign troops. Egyptian units are among those under consideration.
Click here for first debkafile report of Feb. 21 on the Cyrenaica insurgency.
Qaddafi was shaken up badly Friday, Feb. 25, when many of his air force commanders decided to no longer obey his orders or those of his commanders, debkafile's exclusive military sources report. This loss deprived him at one stroke of one of the key pillars sustaining his fight for survival against the opposition since Sunday, Feb. 20. It means he is short of an essential resource for recapturing the eastern half of the country where half of Libya's oil wealth and its main oil export terminals are situated.
Friday, NATO Council and the UN Security Council meet in separate emergency sessions to consider ways to halt the bloodletting in Libya and punish its ruler Qaddafi for his violent crackdown of protesters.
debkafile reported on Feb. 22: The 22,000-strong Libyan Air Force with its 13 bases is Muammar Qaddafi's mainstay for survival against massive popular and international dissent. The 44 air transports and a like number of helicopters swiftly lifted loyal tribal militiamen fully armed from the Sahara and dropped them in the streets of Tripoli Monday Feb. 21.
Thursday Qaddafi launched an offensive to wrest the coastal towns around Tripoli from rebel hands. Our military sources report that tanks pounded opposition positions in the towns of Misrata, 25 km to the east of Tripoli and Zawiya, 30 km west of the capital, under the command of Gen. Khweldi Hamidi, a Qaddafi kinsman.
In a bloody battle, the insurgents ousted Qaddafi's forces from Misrata, but his troops broke through to Zawiya and captured the town at great loss of life. There are no reliable casualty figures but hundreds are believed to have been killed Thursday on both sides.
Later that day, the insurgents of Cyrenaica announced they were firmly in control of the region including Libya's main export oil terminal in Benghazi, the country's second largest town. Whether or not they decide to block the fuel supplies coming from Qaddafi-ruled areas, their seizure of the facility alone was enough to send oil prices shooting up again on world markets.
Thursday night, Brent crude went for $117 the barrel in London and $103 in New York.
In a 30-minute telephone interview Thursday night, Qaddafi again charged that Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood had instigated the protest uprising in Libya. He warned that the fall of Cyrenaica would open Libya to the establishment of a Muslim jihadi and radical rear base for attacks on Europe and incursions into Egypt.

A VERY bad turn of events. All such real and benign help could have come from outside, without any 'boots on the ground' - and certainly not unless specifically invited. So, the British expeditionary group was not the last......

It now turns out it was an 8 person team: One diplomat, one MI6 man, and six SAS men [all had multiple passports and had secretly been inserted by helicopter, without notification nor invitation....which makes one wonder what they were expecting and expecting to do....they had explosives, weapons, computers and other such equiptment.....hmmmm.....quite embarrassing for the Brits. They say they will try again, with a more public [and diplomatic] entrance.

Yes - my antennae are twitching.

Were the SAS/MI6 team agents of Khaos thwarted in their mission?