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To: D. Long who wrote (214526)	8/4/2007 7:29:58 PM
From: KLP	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793999

Re: the SBS in Afghanistan....Thanks Derek...Looks like the Brits always get their man...Connect the dots....British Special Boat Service--- Why didn't the NYT tell us? Are they afraid???? en.wikipedia.org 2006, June 27: Captain David Patten PARA and Sergeant Paul Bartlett, Royal Marines, were killed and another serviceman seriously injured in a Taliban ambush in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan[3]. It was reported by some sources that the ambushed vehicle was part of an SBS patrol and further sources reported that it was a special forces patrol[4]. 2007, May 12: The British Special Boat Service (SBS) killed Taliban leader Mullah Dadullah in Helmand province after a raid on a compound where his associates were meeting. [5] ^ Killed NI soldier 'was due home' On the trail of Taliban: As two SBS soldiers die in Afghanistan, we visit British troops charged with keeping the peace ... and fighting a resolute enemy. ^ BBC News, Long haul fight to defeat the Taleban news.bbc.co.uk 88888888888888 Which lead to this dated Nov 19, 2006 Sunday Mirror............. FINAL STAND findarticles.com RUPERT HAMER Defence Correspondent A BRITISH officer has been recommended for a posthumous Military Cross after he died trying to save the life of a comrade in Afghanistan. Captain David Patton braved enemy fire to reach Special Boat Service Sergeant Paul Bartlett, who had been fatally injured during a secret mission in Helmand Province. But as he attempted to reach him, the 38-year-old Special Forces officer was cut off from his patrol and was forced to make a courageous last stand after being surrounded by Taliban fighters. When their bodies were found they were surrounded by empty cartridge cases. There were also dead Taliban, making it clear that Capt Patton had fought to the last round before being overcome. Their bodies had been stripped of their clothes and their equipment taken, but they had not been mutilated. Last night a Special Forces source said: "What Capt Patton did to try to save his colleague was incredibly brave. We salute him and Sgt Bartlett. "David was one of Britain's most experienced experts in covert operations around the world. You name it, he had done it in spades. "The fact that he fought the Taliban to the last round meant that they were pinned down - giving the rest of his Special Forces patrol time to escape." The patrol began a covert operation against Taliban leaders in June. The two men had been watching four "particularly unpleasant characters" for a while, our source added. They then led the rest of the patrol in a "snatch" operation which went like clockwork. The source went on: "They captured all four and were about to leave with them when they were attacked. "It appears that Sgt Bartlett was hit in the initial attack and David went to save him, but got cut off and surrounded. "A platoon of Gurkhas sent in to assist them was ambushed as it crossed a river and had to begin a fighting withdrawal. The remaining men fought their way back to a rendezvous point before they realised the two were missing. "Without David's last stand many more lives would have been lost that day." The hour-long battle happened on June 27 as the ferocity of attacks against troops in Helmand Province increased. Capt Patton, a married father-of-one, served with distinction in the 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment and The Parachute Regiment before joining special forces. Working alongside the SAS he was involved in undercover operations around the world. He was buried with full military honours in the outskirts of Portsteward in Northern Ireland. Sgt Bartlett, 35, was a former Commando who was selected for the Royal Navy's Special Boat Service. r.hamer@sundaymirror.co.uk Copyright 2006 MGN LTD Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved 8888888888888888888 Which then led to this on July 31, 2007 in The Sun......... Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:46 am Post subject: Re: Exclusive THE SUN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Skynet wrote: EXCLUSIVE THE SUN SBS hero dies in Taliban raid By TOM NEWTON DUNN Defence Editor in Afghanistan July 31, 2007 AN SBS commando has been killed in a ferocious raid to take out a senior Taliban leader, The Sun can reveal. The former Royal Marine was caught in a hail of bullets in the Afghan badlands. He is the fourth soldier to die in five days in the country’s war-torn south — making it the blackest week for British forces here in ten months. Three other Special Boat Service men were also wounded in the intense but short battle in the remote province of Nimruz, which borders Iran. In return, as many as 30 enemy fighters were cut down in the assault, backed by attack helicopters and jets. The target — “a significant Taliban commander” — is believed to be among the dead. The fallen British hero was flown by helicopter to a field hospital but died of his wounds. He became the third man from the special forces outfit to be killed in Afghanistan in little more than a year. A military source said: “There was an enormous amount of lead flying around, as the Taliban fighters made it clear they were prepared to fight to the last to protect their commander. "But it was all over pretty quickly once our full firepower was brought to bear. Unfortunately, four of our guys were caught in it, one fatally. But he died a hero.” Lt Col Claudia Foss, Nato spokeswoman in Kabul, said last night: “We mourn the loss of this brave soldier. He gave his life for a better future for Afghanistan.” The SBS commando’s next of kin have been informed and his identity will be released today. The SBS has been charged with carrying out special operations in Afghanistan while the SAS concentrates on Iraq. The Navy sister service to the SAS has struck a series of fatal blows against the fanatical fighters recently after months of painstaking surveillance. The greatest scalp was the targeting of the Taliban’s notorious military chief Mullah Dadullah in May. The latest operation was carried out away from the main 7,700-strong British force stationed to the west of Helmand Province. Three British soldiers have died in as many days there with the launch of a major new offensive, Operation Hammer, to clear a formidable Taliban stronghold. arrse.co.uk