The Special Air Service (SAS) is the British Army's most renowned special forces unit. From the moment several black-clad figures appeared on the balconies of the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980, the Special Air Service became 'celebrities' both at home and oversees. Their motto, 'Who Dares Wins', has become part of British popular culture.
Since then this elite unit has been employed by various politicians as a sort of publicity stunt, be it Maggie during the embassy siege or Blair during the rescue of a British convoy from the hands of Sierra Leon's notorious West Side Boys, the SAS have carried out the government's zero tolerance rule on terror with great success, that is until now.
On March 7Th 2011 a British SAS mission to Libya resulted in humiliation after the troops were first captured by rebels, then a diplomat's plea for their release was broadcast on state television.
The objectives of this small crew are unclear but their capture raises an important question: is the SAS being wrongfully deployed by the government in their attempt to gain the same political notoriety as Thatcher?
The SAS being a commendable and highly trained regiment I doubt sincerely their capture was the result of slipping standards but more likely the outcome of slap dash planning based on top brass orders from foolish politicians. Or could it be as ex SAS soldier Robin Horsfall says that if the SAS were captured that's because they wanted to be.
The image for this article depicts the logo of the SAS regiment turned upside down to depict the face of an embarrassed special forces officer
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