Posted on 03/05/2011 10:11:55 PM PST by Doofer
Libyan rebels have captured a British special forces unit in the east of the country after a secret diplomatic mission to make contact with opposition leaders backfired, Britain's Sunday Times reported. The team, understood to number up to eight SAS soldiers, were intercepted as they escorted a junior diplomat through rebel-held territory, the newspaper said. The Foreign Office said in a brief statement it could neither "confirm or deny" the report. Earlier on Saturday the Geneva-based Human Rights Solidarity group, which employs a number of Libyan exiles, told Reuters by telephone that a team of "eight special forces personnel" had been seized by rebels. Both the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office repeatedly declined to comment on the group's report. The SAS intervention apparently angered Libyan opposition figures, who ordered the soldiers locked up on a military base, according to the Sunday Times. Opponents of longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi fear he could use any evidence of Western military intervention to rally patriotic support away from a two-week-old uprising against his 41-year autocratic rule. Citing Libyan sources, the Sunday Times said the special forces troops were taken by rebels to Benghazi, Libya's second largest city and epicentre of the insurrection, and hauled before one of its most senior politicians for questioning. The paper said the junior diplomat they were escorting was preparing the way for a visit by a more senior colleague ahead of establishing diplomatic relations with the rebels. The Sunday Times said Libyan opposition officials were said to be trying to hush up the incident for fear of a backlash from ordinary Libyans.
(Excerpt) Read more at af.reuters.com ...
The Libyan desert never did agree with British troops...
Oh, I’m sure that the UK releasing that Lockerbie terrorist who was on death’s door as a humanitarian gesture will buy these SAS men a lot of goodwill with Khadafy.
Was he wearing a red shirt? Ok, not to make light of it but... This is why the junior personnel go out and make contact first.
Not sure I'd want to be those rebels when the next SAS team comes in to free their brethren. They will have very different ROE.
The last thing the rebels need is division, although many of them seem to think they need external help and clearly a lot of us foreigners do want to help em.
Seems like there's more to the story...
uhbummer probably ratted them out..
so the limey poofters will have to own up their own increasing dhimmification and emasculation, all by themselves.
NO cheers, unfortunately. This will just convince the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, "The Arab Street" etc. that the West is just a bunch of p*ssies.
Speaking of which...
Well, they were probably wearing Red, making them easy to identify.
Worked out for for us... Twice.
4th person in a British Star Trek landing party?
UK ‘to send team of spies’ to help oust Gadhafi...
British Army readies for mission at 24 hours’ notice...
Obama goes golfing...
Note OBAMA goes golfing
Bad move by the so called “Muslim Brotherhood.” Can’t blame the brits for seeking to rescue their diplomat.
If the MB harms them, then the wrath to come will be unconscionable. Since the brits will act independent of the UN and the US to protect their own. Which is all they were trying to do, in the first place.
They should have send their carrier group those harriers could have come in handy.
Oh wait
Isn’t this the same country whose navy surrendered to an Iranian gunboat?
The Brit’s own Operation Eagle Claw?
Considering Iran & AQ have bases there now this is not too bright.
sooooo....this shows that the rebels are just as anti west as Kadafi. Take their oil and the hell with em.
Prayers for the soldiers and for their loved ones.
Why is anyone from a western country playing around with these animals?
Wait out the civil war, once they have descimated each other we could come in and mop up then establish a new figurehead.
Note to the Brits: Could this be what happens when you acquire a rep for double-dealing....?
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