 |
|
British forces committed to aid U.S. strike
Commandos may prove especially valuable on Afghan terrain
09/25/2001
By GREGORY KATZ / The Dallas Morning News
LONDON – The British military is preparing to play a substantial role in the anticipated military action against Afghanistan, with special forces expected to aid their U.S. counterparts and Royal Air Force jets ready to strike with U.S. fighters.
Advance teams of Special Air Services forces are already deployed in the region, set to move if ordered into Afghanistan to track Osama bin Laden through the high mountain passes.
The strike force was buoyed Monday when the British aircraft carrier Illustrious, along with the submarine Trafalgar and the destroyer Nottingham, passed through the Suez Canal en route to the Persian Gulf for previously planned war games.
In addition, a formidable array of British air power and firepower is already stationed in nearby Oman for the joint exercise with Omani forces that could easily turn into a combat deployment in Afghanistan.
Senior British military officers returned Monday to London to brief Prime Minister Tony Blair after meeting with top Pentagon officials in Washington for several days. Final plans are being honed, but British officials expect to make a major contribution.
"The British military role will be entirely supportive," said Charles Heyman, editor of Jane's World Armies. "The U.S. has got enough conventional forces and will probably call on specialist U.K. forces, such as the Royal Marine commandos.
"Basically they raid, they are a helicopter-borne attack force and they are seriously tough – and the Special Air Services will provide reconnaissance and intelligence."
He said the SAS units would be used for some of the most difficult tasks, including the possibility of a clandestine operation aimed at eliminating Mr. bin Laden, if he can be found.
"When the crunch comes, taking someone out in a remote area is the sort of thing they would be called upon to do," Mr. Heyman said. "But we need a word of caution. Hunting bin Laden through the mountains in Afghanistan is like looking for a needle in a haystack. ... If they knew where he was, they'd have done it already."
Array of options
The British forces gathering for the war games in Oman present U.S. officials with a number of options. In addition to the aircraft carrier battle group and submarines equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, about 8,500 sailors and marines, several armored army brigades and a cross-section of advanced Royal Air Force attack planes are in place. They could easily be used against Afghanistan, Mr. Heyman said.
The British air fleet will also include several squadrons of Chinook helicopters that could be used to ferry troops inside Afghanistan and early warning planes to monitor air traffic and gather intelligence.
The Royal Navy plans to have roughly 25 ships in place for the exercises, the largest deployment since the 1981 Falklands War. There will also be two regiments of airfield defense specialists that could, for example, be used to establish a security perimeter around the airport in Kabul if it is seized by allied forces.
In Britain, bipartisan political support for military action remains strong, despite some grumbling from the left wing of Mr. Blair's Labor Party. Polls indicate that the public is ready for action though ministers have warned that casualties may be high.
Top Pentagon planners have stressed that unconventional forces will play a vital role in any military action against international terrorists. This suits the British, who have often relied on special units for mountain warfare.
Philip Sabin, professor of strategic studies at King's College in London, said the British special forces operate slightly differently than U.S. commandos and could complement the Americans.
Working in complement
"The SAS works in different ways, more low tech, with an emphasis on muscle power over mechanical power," he said. "They can operate over long periods with very long-standing deployments.
"They can be inserted into a region, then march to the objective, whereas the American special forces are more short-term deployment and then extracted. They both have advantages, and the mix is useful."
Mr. Sabin said the British air force's Tornado jets can offer specialized reconnaissance capabilities that would work well in conjunction with U.S. satellite imagery and information gleaned from unmanned spy planes.
"The U.S. relies on unmanned aircraft, but it's useful to have live men fill in the gaps," he said. "So intelligence is the key for the Royal Air Force. They are also used because it is important to show political support for the U.S. so the Americans are not seen as working alone on this."
It is possible, but not certain, that French and German special forces may also enter Afghanistan to help track the terrorists. The French have two units of about 1,000 soldiers each available for reconnaissance work behind enemy lines, as well as a marine commando group that may be called upon.
The Germans, who have been reluctant to get involved in any ground operations, also have a special commando team.