Australian SAS 'holding Baghdad road'

Australian SAS troops are in control of a major highway to Baghdad and are some of the closest coalition forces to the Iraqi capital, according to an American journalist fleeing the city.

"They were clearly at the very front lines of reconnaissance and they were calm. There was no fear in any of their eyes," US correspondent Nate Thayer told Sky News.

The elite soldiers were the first significant military force encountered by Thayer as he drove out of Baghdad, he said.

Thayer's report is the first on the location of the SAS but he has promised them he will not reveal their exact location.

"But I will say that they were very professional. They were what you would expect a highly mobile forward unit to be - they had many vehicles but they were fast-moving vehicles," said Thayer, who is among journalists expelled from Baghdad by the Iraqi Government.

"They were very professional, they detained me at gunpoint and the others that were accompanying me, ordered us on the ground, determined who we were and debriefed us.

"They obviously were not forthcoming with what units they were or [for] what purpose they were there, but they were very close to Baghdad."

Australian SAS
A large group of Taliban soldiers are moving down a road when they hear a voice call from behind a sand-dune.

"One Australian SAS soldier is better than ten Taliban".

The Taliban commander quickly sends 10 of his best soldiers over the dune whereupon a gun-battle breaks out and continues for a few minutes, then silence. The voice then calls out "One Australian SAS soldier is better than one hundred Taliban".

Furious, the Taliban commander sends his next best 100 troops over the dune and instantly a huge gunfight commences. After 10 minutes of battle, again silence. The Australian voice calls out again "One Australian SAS soldier is better than one thousand Taliban".

The enraged Taliban Commander musters one thousand fighters and sends them across the dune. Cannon, rocket and machine gun fire ring out as a huge battle is fought. Then silence. Eventually one wounded Taliban fighter crawls back over the dune and with his dying words tells his commander, "Don't send any more men, it's a trap, ...there's actually two of them."

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