SAS RESCUES ITS OWN MEN AT THE LAST MINUTE

In 2005, 2 operators of the British SAS were working in Iraq in support of the intelligence service MI6. The mission was to shadow corrupt police officers with ties to terrorist organizations. When that very group stopped them and the officers tried to drag them out of their vehicle, the operators opened fire and killed 2 of the attackers.

A wild chase by the Iraqi police followed, until the British finally tried the diplomatic route and pulled over. The Iraqis beat the two soldiers, dragged them to the prison in Basra and put their pictures online. Other SAS operators, though, managed to track their comrades as far as the prison and passed the word up the chain of command. Shortly afterwards, 20 more SAS soldiers of A Squadron, 22nd SAS Regiment were flown in and moved to the prison, backed by paratroopers, mechanized infantry and tanks, which formed the outer cordon. As a last attempt to settle the matter diplomatically, the British sent 2 officers into the prison, and both were taken prisoner on the spot as well. At the same time, the Iraqis moved the two SAS soldiers to a nearby safe house and prepared them for execution, which fortunately was spotted from a helicopter.

Time was short, and headquarters wanted to call the operation off. The men on the ground were furious and saw no reason to abandon their comrades, so they went on the offensive on their own: every SAS soldier moved straight to the safe house and attacked it on the move to keep their brothers alive. At the same time, British armored vehicles broke through the prison walls and got the infantry inside, and the two officers were freed without resistance. British command approved the rescue after the fact, though many of the soldiers believe that only happened because the mission had worked.


A brotherhood nobody else understands.

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