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It’s not that simple. The SAS guys were riding shotgun for some spook/diplomat types. You are in vehicles. You roll into a crowded stretch of road with 100s of people around. Then you are funneled into a roadblock/checkpoint with dozens of AKs, RPDs and rockets aimed at you.

Going down in a blaze of glory just to not be captured is not an option, because your very mission (mission comes first) is to put those diplos into contact with unknown rebel leaders.

So don’t get snarky about SAS guys compared to SEALs or anybody else.

I was a SEAL officer, I’m proud no SEAL has been captured in combat, but this was not combat. It’s an ongoing diplomatic overture. That is their mission, to go find the rebel leaders.

In the chaos of March 2011 Libya, you can’t expect this mission to go down smoothly.

I was a SEAL officer, I’m proud no SEAL has been captured in combat, but this was not combat. It’s an ongoing diplomatic overture. That is their mission, to go find the rebel leaders.

In the UK military, which unit (if any) fulfills the Special Forces Role (tasked primarily to the Green Berets, but I know the other Spec Forces units do it too) of military outreach/interaction with foreign insurgencies?

I thought it was SAS, but from some of the comments here it seems people think that SAS is solely direct action and hostage rescue ...

I know a former SEAL, and after speaking with him about previous missions, nothing specific mind you, I’ve come to the conclusion that if a SOF mission goes bad, it’s usually the fault of a politician somewhere.