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90 SAS troops in firefight at Bin Laden cave
Associated New Media Limited ^ | Friday, Nov 30th | MATTHEW HICKLEY

Posted on 11/30/2001 12:01:56 PM PST by Toidylop

90 SAS troops in firefight at Bin Laden cave
by MATTHEW HICKLEY, Daily Mail

femail.co.uk - 30th November 2001

The first dramatic accounts emerged yesterday of a daring largescale SAS assault on a Taliban cave complex which left 18 Afghans dead and four British soldiers wounded.

According to sources close to the elite regiment, the intense four-hour battle - aimed at cornering Osama Bin Laden - was one of the largest SAS operations ever mounted.

As many as 90 troops converged on the heavilyguarded mountain stronghold in southern Afghanistan, acting on intelligence that the terrorist chief was there.

They successfully stormed the complex in an ' astonishing and breathtaking operation', but Bin Laden is believed to have fled hours earlier.

It is understood the same units were yesterday involved in a similar assault on another hideout, as they raced to reach the world's most wanted man ahead of their American special forces rivals - who have yet to mount attacks on the same scale.

While large-formation assaults are unusual for the SAS - which prefers operating in small undercover teams - insiders claim the difficulty of cave fighting and the regiment's eagerness to seize the ultimate prize of capturing or killing Bin Laden have prompted a dramatic shift in tactics.

One Army source described last week's assault as 'a rerun of the Radfan raid' - a reference to the successful SAS operation during the 1960s Aden insurgency in which 60 or more troops joined in a daring attack on an enemy-held desert fort.

Around 100 SAS soldiers have been operating undercover in Afghanistan for weeks, gathering intelligence and mounting hit-and-run raids in a bid to make Bin Laden and his terrorist henchmen break cover.

The Battle of the Caves took place last week, days before U.S. Marines moved into an area south of Kandahar to help in the hunt.

The assault force is thought to have included some members of the Special Boat Section of the Royal Marines.

No details have been officially released and the Defence Ministry would not comment on the operation yesterday.

But one well-placed source said: 'It was by all accounts an astonishing and breathtaking assault on the most difficult of targets.

'The lads used techniques for tunnel fighting that they have honed over the years. They proved hugely successful. There was hand-to-hand fighting at some points.

'It takes cool courage and teamwork to take a complex like that, and word of this will spread. It will strike fear into the Taliban, and rightly so. Eighteen Taliban were killed and dozens wounded and taken prisoner.

'I imagine they will be given a fair but tough interrogation - what the lads call " interview without coffee".'

The source added: 'As I speak, they have moved on to to a second complex and another battle is being fought.

'The regimental sergeant major was wounded and is apparently furious that he is away from the action. He is a fantastic soldier. The word is

that Victoria Crosses will be awarded for this action. It was the biggest gathering of SAS men in living memory. Two squadrons were involved plus the headquarters group.

'Even in the Gulf, when the lads overran a Scud missile complex in the Iraqi desert, only half a squadron in desert Land Rovers was involved, and that was a hell of a battle.

'The Americans have not prosecuted the same sort of actions against Al- Qaeda, and the U.S. Delta Force have been largely directing artillery and air strikes and trying to organise the anti-Taliban forces into a cohesive fighting units. They have not yet launched direct actions in the same way.

'The inference is clear that the SAS wants to get Bin Laden. They don't like to be second best - because after all, Who Dares Wins.'

The source said the RSM was shot in the calf. Two others suffered 'in and out' bullet wounds.

The fourth and most serious casualty took three bullets from an AK-47 assault rifle - one in the arm, one in the abdomen and one in the top of his leg, which tore through the limb.

He is a married with children, and the son of an SAS soldier known as 'Lofty' who was among 19 of the elite troops who died in a helicopter crash during the Falklands War.

The source said: 'The main concern is the chap's leg and we are all praying it will be saved. Frankly, the fact that only four men were wounded is a testament to the skills of the regiment.'

The four casualties were evacuated back to Britain over the weekend, and are now being treated at a hospital in the Midlands.


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To: Carbon
and our rights will continue be shat on by our gov't

Hey, this is being done to secure our freedom and assure our liberties.. you really have a bad attitude here... Now,... buy a car.. go shopping in the mall... take a vacation... nothing to worry about... we're all safe.

41 posted on 11/30/2001 12:53:26 PM PST by Beenliedto
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To: boston_liberty
Prayers for ALL of the brave soldiers fighting for our cause!.

God bless them and keep them safe from harm.

42 posted on 11/30/2001 12:55:17 PM PST by LADY J
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To: Toidylop
The Thin Red Line once more stands between civilization and chaos, between culture and savagery, between Judaeo-Christian theology and infidels.
43 posted on 11/30/2001 12:55:36 PM PST by ZULU
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To: Defiant
You people are getting tiresome.

Well, YOU people aren't exactly making my day, either... Not only that, but you're causing great unrest amoung the Founders... They're rolling over in their graves.

44 posted on 11/30/2001 12:56:07 PM PST by Beenliedto
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To: eno_
Ah yes, you're the Elvis bin Laden guy. We've independantly thinking along similar lines for some time now.

I prefer to think of him more as the "Flying Dutchman" of the Muslim world, everywhere he shows up, disaster follows. I think it's the only way to kill a martyr (not the body, the idea). People want to see Elvis. Soon no-one will want to see Osama.

You're my kind of guy, keep up the evil schemes...

45 posted on 11/30/2001 12:56:15 PM PST by null and void
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To: CommiesOut
Looks like the British are more daring and less sensitive to casualties.
46 posted on 11/30/2001 12:56:50 PM PST by madrussian
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To: smithson
Agreed. I don't care who rids the world of these slime buckets. I will be satisfied knowing we set the wheels in motion that assured the desired result.
47 posted on 11/30/2001 12:57:05 PM PST by NeonKnight
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To: wasp69
"Captain Caveman"

Oh that's funny! Thanks for the LOL :-)

48 posted on 11/30/2001 12:59:33 PM PST by Flipyaforreal
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To: Carbon
And the rights that you have lost are?

Certainly not the right to spew meaningless drivel from your pie hole.

49 posted on 11/30/2001 1:01:31 PM PST by justshutupandtakeit
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To: Carbon
"Bin Goldstein will always escape, so he will always be sought, and our rights will continue be shat on by our gov't...all in his name."

Are you allowed to use anything other than plastic scissors? Enjoy your jello.

50 posted on 11/30/2001 1:02:35 PM PST by RightOnline
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To: NeonKnight
What I will say is, leave a piece of him for us to shoot.
51 posted on 11/30/2001 1:02:36 PM PST by smithson
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To: RightOnline
Notice that he uses the same tag for the man that Michael Rivero uses...

It's not a coincidence, I think.

52 posted on 11/30/2001 1:04:34 PM PST by Poohbah
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To: Defiant
You said to "Carbon":"You people are getting tiresome. Were you watching TV on September 11?"

Yeah, he probably was..............in the lounge in his jammies, slippers, and ratty bathrobe along with the others holding their drool cups. Had to have the volume WAY up to cover up the geezer in the corner who thinks he's Ethel Merman.

53 posted on 11/30/2001 1:05:36 PM PST by RightOnline
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To: Carbon
4000 people lost all their rights on 9/11. Exactly what right have you lost? It certainly wasn't the right to whine.
54 posted on 11/30/2001 1:09:22 PM PST by stop_fascism
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To: h-roark
I will not touch that one with a ten foot pole. I will advise to be on the look out for the Trident. LOL
55 posted on 11/30/2001 1:10:20 PM PST by pcl
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To: bayourod
"This could be a new event for the Winter Olympics." LOL!

Why not? This would be the modern-modern pentathalon! SAS v. Delta. Any other teams competing at this level?

Only thing is, we'll have to capture a whole bunch of Binny Boys because, like a fox hunt, the object of the game is not likely to survive its conclusion!

56 posted on 11/30/2001 1:15:51 PM PST by colorado tanker
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To: null and void
Oh, I do hope OBL escapes. We flatten the Taliban, OBL escapes to Iraq. We flatten Iraq, OBL escapes to Syria. We flatten Syria, OBL escapes to Lybia... We keep this up until state sponsored terrorism is gone.

It sounds like a Scorched Earth Policy. I like it.

57 posted on 11/30/2001 1:20:38 PM PST by X-USAF
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To: stop_fascism
4000 people lost all their rights on 9/11. Exactly what right have you lost? It certainly wasn't the right to whine
Reality must be tough to understand!!!
58 posted on 11/30/2001 1:20:47 PM PST by Toidylop
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Comment #59 Removed by Moderator

To: Toidylop
'I imagine they will be given a fair but tough interrogation - what the lads call " interview without coffee".'

I love it < g > Who Dares Wins indeed!

60 posted on 11/30/2001 1:28:06 PM PST by Jefferson Adams
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