Marines ready for night raids on Al-Qaeda

The Sunday Times (U.K.) ^ | 03/31/2002 | James Clark

[Pokey78]

THE Royal Marines of 45 Commando are to mount night-time raids against followers of Osama Bin Laden in mined mountain passes more than 130 miles from their base after they arrive in Afghanistan this week.

The 1,700 marines, most of them in their late teens and early twenties, have been assigned to seek and destroy Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in a large expanse of mountains in the east of the country. The area is close to the border with Pakistan, over which many fighters have fled.

The marines will work in groups of between three and 50, depending on the nature of their task, to the north of an area where eight American servicemen perished earlier this month in Operation Anaconda, an attack on the last known mountain stronghold of Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the border province of Paktia.

The Americans claimed to have killed hundreds there; hundreds more were reported to have escaped and present a continuing threat.

Like their American counterparts, the marines will be flown into the mountains aboard twin-rotor Chinook helicopters. After being dropped by the RAF’s 27 Squadron, they will “yomp” to positions identified by western intelligence as enemy boltholes.

The stakes will be high. After initial visual contact with the Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters, the marines will have the choice of calling Bagram airbase and ordering spy plane and satellite surveillance of the enemy, or of opening fire and attempting an ambush.

However, commanders say the most likely option, if larger groups are encountered, will be to call in American A-10 Thunderbolt ground-attack aircraft, which carries rockets, bombs and a powerful 30mm Gatling gun. Marine reinforcements will be brought up, along with troops from the US Rangers and Mountain Division.

The man in charge of 45 Commando, Brigadier Roger Lane, could also deploy his forces as “stoppers” to cut off escape into Pakistan. Last week he admitted he was powerless to act against enemy forces once they cross the unmarked border into the lawless tribal territory.

“Even if I can see enemy across the border, according to the operational parameters I cannot do anything. That’s a matter for the Ministry of Defence or the politicians,” he said.

The terrain is forbidding. The altitude is such that many accomplished American mountain soldiers were removed with altitude sickness during Anaconda. And while 45 Commando is the British Army’s most specialised mountain unit, only a handful of its top soldiers, the “Mountain Leaders”, have operated at heights above 10,000ft. Most of the marines’ work will be done at between 8,000ft and 13,000ft.

The enemy has an intimate knowledge of the terrain, where many of the country’s estimated 10m unexploded landmines are to be found.

“Anyone who says they are not scared is probably lying,” admitted Lane. “I am not going to speculate on how many people might be out there, but I know the area in which I am specifically concentrating and it is large. There are dangers, of course.”

He said the operation, due to last 90 days, “should be over by early July,” but warned there would be no definite pull-out date.

For the moment Lane’s nearly 100-strong advance party of “enablers” is based in a tented camp, preparing the ground for the main force of 45 Commando to begin flying in this week. All talk of casualties is frowned upon, but the British have also set up shared medical facilities capable of handling mass injuries. Special forces soldiers from several countries are also at the base, and have already begun to search mountains nearby for Al-Qaeda.

“There’s some apprehension, but the nature of the corps makes you confident the planners will have got it right,” said 45 Commando quartermaster Phil Beazley, 46.

“People will be scared and frightened, but we operate a buddy-buddy system so you’ve always got someone to help you through it.”

Despite the treacherous operation ahead, the marines at Bagram displayed a quiet confidence. Des Birchall, 25, who was born in South Africa and got engaged to be married just before his departure for Afghanistan, said: “I really wanted to come. I think that’s why you join an outfit like this.”

Captain Peter Hoare, 42, said it was difficult knowing that his grown-up children understood the threats. “The blokes are mega-ready to go and get into it. If you’re a Royal Marine, this is what you do. We are well trained, well supported and well led.” This confidence extends to the youngest soldiers, including signaller Leigh Shipperbottom, 19. “My parents came back from Spain today and I called and said ‘Hey Mum, I’m in Afghanistan’. That was a bit tricky.”

[swheats]

What ever happened to the element of surprise?

[JeepInMazar]

I found my Russian jeep in the mountains!

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