TROOPS HELD IN SYRIA

Sky News ^ | 05:59 UK, Tuesday April 29, 2003 | Sky News Staff

[Pro-Bush]

TROOPS HELD IN SYRIA

Military sources have confirmed two British special forces soldiers were held by Syrian forces after crossing the border from Iraq.

The men were held for five days and have since been released after being captured at gunpoint.

The Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office refused to comment but a defence source confirmed: "Two British soldiers were held in Syria but have since been released."

The incident occurred shortly after a squadron of between 30 and 40 Special Boat Service commandos were dropped by helicopter into northern Iraq.

They were carrying out reconnaissance and sabotage operations around Mosul.

The two men became separated from their unit when they were ambushed by Iraqi forces and came under heavy fire.

They then headed into the hills, travelling through rough terrain, before crossing the Syrian border.

Officially the men were never listed as missing in action and news of their capture and release has only recently emerged.

[Pro-Bush]

Cover story for on-going special ops?

[Bonaparte]

Anybody's guess. But it's for sure that Syria's got something we want and we're going to get it one way or another.

[MEG33]

Glad they are safe..

[Travis McGee]

In the GPS era you always know exactly where you are. But in the Middle East the borders are often in dispute, and claims may vary by 50 or more miles.

[Pro-Bush]

In the GPS era you always know exactly where you are. But in the Middle East the borders are often in dispute, and claims may vary by 50 or more miles.

I could see that with Iran or Turkey...But not with Syria.

[nunya bidness]

In the GPS era you always know exactly where you are.

Tell that to low pressure systems that refuse to cave to the bow of my boat. Granted, the Gulf of Mexico isn't the Pacific and I wasn't solo but the pounding was the same.

[Squantos]

Right now Syria doesn't want to upset Blair or GW........wanna bet those troops got a free Syrian Tourist T-Shirt and a Beer Coozie as departing gifts when they were set gently back over the border ?;o)

[Travis McGee]

These SAS troopies were probably signing autographs for grinning Syrian officers on their ride out.

[Travis McGee]

Look at any detailed map of the ME. You will see lots of "double dotted lines" across desert wastelands, with the notation "boundary in dispute". This means both nations claim it, but it just ain't worth going to war over.

Unless there's oil under it, like say, the Kuwait-Iraq disputed border.

[Squantos]

Who was the last SAS trooper squaddie that wrote a book about his exploits in the same AO ?.....Andy something I believe.

Stay Safe !

[Travis McGee]

You can always have a spare handheld or two with extra AA batteries in a double ziplock baggy.

GPS is a modern miracle for boaters!

[Travis McGee]

I have that book, it's named for his squad's call sign I recall. Andy Messingsomething? Pretty hard going on that E&E run....

[nunya bidness]

I've got good GPS. The problem is the weather doesn't care where I'm going.

Are you ever going to tell about that solo trip to Guam?

[Travis McGee]

Hawaii to Guam was a piece of cake, just dropped down to the mid teen latitudes and boogied in the trades, caught mahi mahi at will on the meat line. But I had a bad jibe while I was asleep and busted my boom a week out of Guam, bent that sucker in the middle about 20*.

My leg from Panama to Hilo was much much worse due to the "Great El Nino" of that year. Not too much wind...not enough!

[Squantos]

Lot's of good info in that text if disected properly. Gear and after action on that E&E effort.

Stay Safe !

[nunya bidness]

I'm always thinking about another solo. How did you handle sleep? How did you repair/rig the boom, or did you just let it go?

We doubled the main mast just under the second spreader and doubled the boom. It was aluminum and it never failed even under 60k gusts. The hydraulic vang held up even when it started to leak at the pump.

One interesting point from my experience was that no single failure was bad but the culmination added up to loss of the boat. I think it's called the cascade effect. We never lost the rig but we blew out all of the canvas (reefed and small in the front) and after a bunch of knock-downs the rigging was loose as hell.

Question of the day: Run or beat weather?

[Travis McGee]

Well I for one would certainly never accuse SAS men of being soft. If it's bad enough that some were captured, you can bet it was real bad. I recall they did not have the right gear at hand when they needed it, water and warm clothes etc. And the SAS trick of "laying up" in a covered slit trench can be fine, BUT if you are spotted by that goat herding kid, and he gets out the alarm, and there isn't a bush or tree in 100 miles, but there are 1,000 enemy soldiers five klicks away, you are SCREWED, SAS or not.

[Pro-Bush]

Look at any detailed map of the ME. You will see lots of "double dotted lines" across desert wastelands, with the notation "boundary in dispute". This means both nations claim it, but it just ain't worth going to war over.

Saddam and Assad were buddies..and now Bashar, Assad's son, is now the dictator in control, and he is believed to be holding Saddam's WMDs and harboring high level Iraqi officials. Why do you think we shut down that illegal oil pipeline to Syria? No border disputes with Syria..That is my point.

[dixiechick2000]

Could this have something to do with all of the "tough" talk last week from Bush, Powell, Rumsfeld, etc.?

It calmed down pretty fast...like all in one day.

[green team 1999]

durinf the falklands war a british helicopter got "lost" and end up at the border between chile and argentina,they found only the pilots(pilot claim lost)with empty fuel tanks.
nobody ever find out what really happen.

and this in syria,SBS special boat squadron are good as the sas,they were not lost!