-- 40 Commando is part of the Royal Marines' 3,500-strong 3 Commando Brigade, all of whom are trained for winter warfare and Arctic fighting. The origins of the brigade can be traced back to the formation of the first commando units in 1940, at the request of then-Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.
He called for "specially trained troops of the hunter class, who can develop a reign of terror down on these [enemy occupied] coasts".
The emphasis was on daring, tough soldiers, who were extremely proficient in small unit tactics and stealthy approaches - often upon heavily defended targets.
In 1982 the brigade engaged in the most important conflict in its history - the Falklands War.
With other components of the Royal Marines, the brigade sailed for the Falkland Islands within five days of being warned for operations, and staged an extremely successful amphibious landing
The brigade fought throughout the six-week campaign in mountainous territory, which culminated with the surrender of the Argentinian forces on the island.. And it continues to carry out regular Arctic climbing and mountain exercises in Norway - the only British troops to do so. --- Original Message ----- From: "Charles Jannuzi" <jannuzi at edu00.f-edu.fukui-u.ac.jp> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 12:05 AM Subject: Re: Washington wobbles
> >The brits seem ready to send in a highly >specialised unit of 600 men
> >trained in fighting in arctic conditions
>
> What are they, the offspring of gurkas and Falkland sheepherder daughters?
>
> Like I and others have said on this list: special forces won't get the job
> done. They are far too vulnerable to skilled use of concealed troops with
> light arms--about the only thing the Afghans excel at. Nor can they occupy
> and control in a policing action (like if a new Afghan gov't agreed to the
> presence). Not only can they not sustain themselves, but they don't even
> have the organizational structure to function like regular units.
>
> A careful policing action would have to bring heavy stuff in through
> Pakistan, since Aghanistan, it bears repeating, is a landlocked country,
and
> air transport has severe limitations--it can't lift things like tanks.
> And as also been pointed out on the list (and more than once), that too is
a
> problem.
>
> Right now the DoD is dropping really big freaking bombs on tunnel
complexes
> where they think OBL might be. They are also patiently dropping huge
amounts
> of bombs on entrenched Taliban, Arab and Pakistani troops in hopes that
many
> Northern Alliance's soldiers will cross the threshold of puberty soon.
>
> Suppose the Taliban report OBL as dead and buried in the bombed tunnels?
> Then what? A continued get-rid-of-the-Taliban campaign is likely to
alienate
> the Afghanis.
>
> Whoever thinks up what to do in that scenario ought to get a week's worth
> of Dunkin Donuts paid for by the Pentagon coffee fund. Oscillate on that.
>
> Charles Jannuzi
>
>