What is Special Forces? #2 -End-

Fellow readers, I will continue to share about special forces, this time I'll focus on the terrorism.

Italian Counter-terrorist
Members of Central Security Unit (CSU) are training freefall. Police unit that specialize themselves in counter-terrorism, CSU require the member to do the years of intensive training, including parachuting and diving.

The idea about special forces operating behind the enemy line already discussed since long time ago. In 500 BC, when General Sun Tzu wrote his grand masterpiece, Art of War, he explained the needs of armed forces to developed a unit that he called as "survived spies" to execute the special operations in enemy territory.This Sun Tzu "survived spies" still exist in British SAS ideas, which they called as "grey man", which is a specialist from special forces that the enemy perceived as not too important until need to be interrogated.

An important activities of the special forces during war time is forming local rebellion groups behind enemy line. This small units are trained and armed with local knowledge to gain the local's sympathy so that they could become "terrorist" to the enemy. A British army officer, T.E. Lawrence done this strategy in middle east during the World War I (1914-1918). At that time he succeeded to convinced the Arabians to rebel against the Turks. His guerrilla army he created became the thorn to Turkish army.

Counter-Terrorism

Because of their experience handling terrorists techniques since the end of World War II, special forces role is very vital in counter-terrorist operation nowadays. British SAS was the first unit to face terrorism in the hand of the communist guerrillas in Malayan forests at 1950s. US special forces just started to develop the counter-terrorist strategy a decade later, when there is a growing awareness that global terrorism couldn't be handled alone by the conventional military or police. The act of counter-terrorist "sue" the special forces to defend and protect major city and economic target, such as oil installation. The team usually works directly under the control of police which known as direct action task. British SAS leave a concrete example when relieving Iran embassy from terrorist in London at 1980.

^Hostage rescue exercise 
Personnel from Central Security Unit (CSU) Italy showing their rappelling skill in hostage rescue exercise. Beside hunting down terrorist, this unit also responsible for VIP protection when high level politician or diplomat from another country visit Italy.

^British SAS taking position on the balcony on the Iran embassy in 1980

British SAS on mission free sander. five terrorist were killed.

Terror and Counter-Terror

In doing their actions, terrorist chooses the target on purpose to gain maximum attention from the media. Such as hijacking civilian airplane in 1970s, especially in the middle east. When doing their action, Palestine group attempt to draw the world attention to their struggle for a nation, independence of Palestine. Faced to the rapid terrorist attacks, special forces units forced to develop an effective retaliation. Training by training with increasing and intensifying difficulty level are given. Even a real plane turned into a training ground. With the similar way, when ships and port facility like oil ridge become a target, water infiltrator also become a necessity.

Beating Terrorism

In some circumstances, counter-terrorist units can be deployed overseas or cross country. Israel rescue d their civilian that terrorist had hijacked by Palestine in 1976 and held captive in Uganda is one of the example for that overseas operation kind.

In the near future, the defeat of terrorism could be from units which has adapted terrorist tactics. It turns out to be a challenge, how to limit their actions to make a clear divider between terrorism and counter terrorism, so it's not obscure to differ is that counter-terrorism or terrorism.

  ^Rescue Helicopter

These RH-53 helicopters were used by US Delta Force to save US civilian held captive in Teheran, Iran in 1980 which turns out to be a failure. -What a shame-