September 05, 2004
Britain forms new special forces unit to fight al-Qaidah
25-07-2004
By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent
The Sunday Telegraph:
A new special forces regiment is being created to infiltrate Islamic terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
The Reconnaissance and Surveillance Regiment will work closely with the Special Air Service and the Special Boat Service. Its mission will be to penetrate groups, either directly or by "turning" terrorists into double agents.
It will be given the authority to operate around the world, working closely with friendly intelligence agencies such as the CIA and Mossad.
Security chiefs hope that the regiment, comprising up to 600 troops, will run a network of agents providing the West with accurate intelligence on potential terrorist operations, allowing attacks to be foiled. It will at first be formed from members of a highly secret surveillance agency - the Joint Communications Unit Northern Ireland - which has worked in Ulster for more than 20 years. The unit, which worked with the SAS, MI5 and the Special Branch, perfected the art of covert surveillance in urban and rural areas and created a network of double agents who supplied the British security forces with intelligence on terrorist attacks.
Its success stemmed from its ability to plant listening devices and cameras in the homes and cars of terrorists, to bug phones and to monitor suspects at close quarters.
Such was the secrecy surrounding the unit that few of its operations were made public. Members of the unit are, however, some of the most highly decorated men and women in the Services.
One of its successes was providing the information for the SAS operation in 1988 which led to the shooting dead of three IRA terrorists who were planning to attack British forces in Gibraltar. The unit also took part in an operation that thwarted an IRA plot to attack a police station at Loughgall, County Tyrone, in 1987. Eight IRA members were killed by the SAS in a carefully planned ambush.
Volunteers for the regiment, both male and female, will be taken from all three branches of the Armed Forces. Officers are keen to recruit those of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean appearance, as well as Muslims and members of ethnic minorities.
Recruitment has begun and volunteers must pass an intensive six-month training course, learning covert surveillance, communications, driving skills and first aid as well as close-quarter battle skills, using a variety of weapons. Priority will be given to those able to infiltrate or blend in with Islamic terror groups, rather than, as with the SAS, their fitness or fighting capabilities.
One officer said: "The SAS's role is essentially to kill people. This new regiment's role is to provide the intelligence for the SAS to do that."
Those who pass - a 90 per cent failure rate is expected - will be sent on an Arabic course at the Armed Forces language school at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.
The unit will be commanded by a lieutenant colonel with a special forces background, although not necessarily a member of the SAS, and will be based in South Wales. He will report to the Director of Special Forces.
A senior officer associated with the formation of the new regiment said: "This unit will be used primarily for intelligence gathering. The work will be dangerous, as it was in Northern Ireland, and operators will be taught how to protect themselves. The threat from Irish terror groups is far less now and although we will keep a presence in Ulster, it is time to use this force on a worldwide basis."
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/07/25/nrsr25.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/07/25/ixportaltop.html
September 5, 2004 at 01:07 PM in Reconnaissance and Surveillance Regiment, Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) | Permalink | TrackBack (171) | Top of page | Blog Home
August 07, 2004
"Reconnaissance and Surveillance Regiment" Britain forms new special forces unit to fight al-Qa'eda
Telegraph | News | Britain forms new special forces unit to fight al-Qa'eda
By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent
(Filed: 25/07/2004)
A new special forces regiment is being created to infiltrate Islamic terrorist groups such as al-Qa'eda, The Telegraph can reveal.
The Reconnaissance and Surveillance Regiment will work closely with the Special Air Service and the Special Boat Service. Its mission will be to penetrate groups, either directly or by "turning" terrorists into double agents.
It will be given the authority to operate around the world, working closely with friendly intelligence agencies such as the CIA and Mossad.
Security chiefs hope that the regiment, comprising up to 600 troops, will run a network of agents providing the West with accurate intelligence on potential terrorist operations, allowing attacks to be foiled. It will at first be formed from members of a highly secret surveillance agency - the Joint Communications Unit Northern Ireland - which has worked in Ulster for more than 20 years. The unit, which worked with the SAS, MI5 and the Special Branch, perfected the art of covert surveillance in urban and rural areas and created a network of double agents who supplied the British security forces with intelligence on terrorist attacks.
Its success stemmed from its ability to plant listening devices and cameras in the homes and cars of terrorists, to bug phones and to monitor suspects at close quarters.
Such was the secrecy surrounding the unit that few of its operations were made public. Members of the unit are, however, some of the most highly decorated men and women in the Services.
One of its successes was providing the information for the SAS operation in 1988 which led to the shooting dead of three IRA terrorists who were planning to attack British forces in Gibraltar. The unit also took part in an operation that thwarted an IRA plot to attack a police station at Loughgall, County Tyrone, in 1987. Eight IRA members were killed by the SAS in a carefully planned ambush.
Volunteers for the regiment, both male and female, will be taken from all three branches of the Armed Forces. Officers are keen to recruit those of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean appearance, as well as Muslims and members of ethnic minorities.
Recruitment has begun and volunteers must pass an intensive six-month training course, learning covert surveillance, communications, driving skills and first aid as well as close-quarter battle skills, using a variety of weapons. Priority will be given to those able to infiltrate or blend in with Islamic terror groups, rather than, as with the SAS, their fitness or fighting capabilities.
One officer said: "The SAS's role is essentially to kill people. This new regiment's role is to provide the intelligence for the SAS to do that."
Those who pass - a 90 per cent failure rate is expected - will be sent on an Arabic course at the Armed Forces language school at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.
The unit will be commanded by a lieutenant colonel with a special forces background, although not necessarily a member of the SAS, and will be based in South Wales. He will report to the Director of Special Forces.
A senior officer associated with the formation of the new regiment said: "This unit will be used primarily for intelligence gathering. The work will be dangerous, as it was in Northern Ireland, and operators will be taught how to protect themselves. The threat from Irish terror groups is far less now and although we will keep a presence in Ulster, it is time to use this force on a worldwide basis."
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2004
August 7, 2004 at 08:43 PM in Reconnaissance and Surveillance Regiment, SAS, Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) | Permalink | TrackBack (5) | Top of page | Blog Home
July 25, 2004
New elite force to combat Al-Qaeda
Times Online - Newspaper Edition
Adam Nathan and Tony Allen-Mills
A DEDICATED special forces unit is being assembled alongside the SAS and SBS to infiltrate and destroy Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network.
The unit, nicknamed the “X-men�, has already begun recruiting and is expected eventually to comprise some 600 men and women from all three armed services and the intelligence agencies.
Particular efforts will be made to recruit people of Arabic appearance in addition to members of ethnic minority communities and Muslims. The unit would be expected to operate around the world as well as to counter the terrorism threat in Britain itself.
Much of the core of the unit will be made up of undercover surveillance operators who have honed their skills fighting terrorists in Northern Ireland.
More than 150 members of the 14th Intelligence and Security Company, have already left Northern Ireland and are forming the nucleus of the new unit.
The company was involved in the bugging of Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein president, during the 1998 Good Friday peace negotiations.
Other Northern Ireland veterans who are experts at undermining terrorist groups using moles and informers are also likely to be recruited.
The move was hinted at in last week’s announcement by Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, on the restructuring of the armed forces. “We are increasing the strength of our special forces and investing in new equipment for them,” he said.
The government will make a separate move in its anti-terrorism efforts tomorrow when ministers launch a leaflet telling members of the public how they can prepare for a terrorist attack. The advice, to be sent to all homes in England and Wales over the next few weeks, will suggest people “stay upwind” of any release of gas or radiation and remain indoors in the event of nuclear detonation.
If they believe they have been infected by biological warfare agents, they are advised to ring NHS Direct rather than spread germs by going to hospital. They should “wash with soap and water” if they come into contact with a suspicious substance.
The advice is part of a Ł5m publicity drive by the government to prepare for the possibility of an attack by Al-Qaeda or other groups.
The leaflet — provisionally entitled Go In, Stay In, Tune In — suggests people should stay indoors and listen to the BBC for further instructions in an emergency. Households are advised to stock up on tinned food, a first aid kit, a battery-powered radio and a mobile phone and charger.
The terrorist threat, particularly with the Olympics approaching, is still considered severe. It has emerged that the US Olympic committee was among leading American sports bodies that were warned last week Al-Qaeda may be planning to attack a sporting event at home or abroad this year.
A new security focus on sports stadiums has been prompted by a growing US conviction that Al-Qaeda will attempt to disrupt either the Athens Olympics or the US presidential campaign with an attack designed to inflict mass casualties.
“Everybody feels (Al-Qaeda) are trying to mount another attack,” said Thomas Kean, chairman of the 9/11 Commission, which last week called for a restructuring of US intelligence agencies. “And everybody feels that they are doing their best to make it chemical, biological or nuclear because it kills more people and that’s their goal.
“We are in danger of letting things slide. Time is not on our side.”
July 25, 2004 at 03:37 PM in Reconnaissance and Surveillance Regiment, Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) | Permalink | TrackBack (259) | Top of page | Blog Home