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VarSity · 10-19-2007, 05:12 AM

This reminds me of a Documentary I saw on the BBC last year, it was a general overview of Afghanistan, the sort of thing that bangs on about the CIA having no boots on the ground pre 9/11 and how unprepared everyone was.

They actually interviews a retired spook who was a handler in Afghanistan, and he said there was an occasion where British Special forces (he didn't say SAS or SBS) where in a position to move on Bin Laden early on in the Afghan campaign. However there was a request to deploy a couple hundred rangers ahead of Bin Laden and the Brits to just shepherd him towards them.

Basically it took so long for the word to be given (he said there was some risk of very high casualties) that by the time the Rangers were ever told to get ready for action night was already falling and something like 6 hours had passed.

I don't know if that show, or that link are correct, but there seems to be alot of stories flying around with a very similar theme.

10-19-2007, 05:12 AM	#13 (permalink)
VarSity Contributor Join Date: 06-11-07 Location: Leicester Posts: 570 Country:	This reminds me of a Documentary I saw on the BBC last year, it was a general overview of Afghanistan, the sort of thing that bangs on about the CIA having no boots on the ground pre 9/11 and how unprepared everyone was. They actually interviews a retired spook who was a handler in Afghanistan, and he said there was an occasion where British Special forces (he didn't say SAS or SBS) where in a position to move on Bin Laden early on in the Afghan campaign. However there was a request to deploy a couple hundred rangers ahead of Bin Laden and the Brits to just shepherd him towards them. Basically it took so long for the word to be given (he said there was some risk of very high casualties) that by the time the Rangers were ever told to get ready for action night was already falling and something like 6 hours had passed. I don't know if that show, or that link are correct, but there seems to be alot of stories flying around with a very similar theme.