Operation Barras

Operation Barras PDF Author: William Fowler
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 1780225687
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 295

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Book Description
The inside story of the most daring SAS rescue mission ever In September 2000 eleven British soldiers were captured by a notorious militia gang in Sierra Leone. The so-called 'West Side Boys' had subjected their part of the country to a long reign of terror, murdering, kidnapping and mutilating anyone who stood in their way. Now British soldiers were at their mercy. Surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered, any resistance would have seen them all killed; yet their hopes of a quick exchange soon faded. They were assaulted and subjected to mock executions. Negotiations with the 'Revolutionary United Front' leaders and the 'West Side Boys' proved futile. Prime Minister Tony Blair ordered the armed forces to get the men back. The SAS and elements of the Parachute Regiment were rushed to West Africa and a naval squadron assembled offshore. The stage was set for the biggest British military operation on the continent for a generation - and their most daring rescue mission ever.

Operation Barras

Operation Barras PDF Author: William Fowler
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 1780225687
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 295

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Book Description
The inside story of the most daring SAS rescue mission ever In September 2000 eleven British soldiers were captured by a notorious militia gang in Sierra Leone. The so-called 'West Side Boys' had subjected their part of the country to a long reign of terror, murdering, kidnapping and mutilating anyone who stood in their way. Now British soldiers were at their mercy. Surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered, any resistance would have seen them all killed; yet their hopes of a quick exchange soon faded. They were assaulted and subjected to mock executions. Negotiations with the 'Revolutionary United Front' leaders and the 'West Side Boys' proved futile. Prime Minister Tony Blair ordered the armed forces to get the men back. The SAS and elements of the Parachute Regiment were rushed to West Africa and a naval squadron assembled offshore. The stage was set for the biggest British military operation on the continent for a generation - and their most daring rescue mission ever.

Certain Death in Sierra Leone

Certain Death in Sierra Leone PDF Author: Will Fowler
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1782000682
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
In September 2000 the notorious militia gang, 'West Side Boys' kidnapped eleven British soldiers in Sierra Leone and Operation Barras was launched as the rescue operation. Fast roping in from helicopters, the SAS soldiers engaged in a heavy firefight with the militia, killing several, and capturing their leader. Meanwhile the Paras advanced on foot, fighting their way through a village to recover the Land Rovers abandoned by the kidnapped soldiers. The operation was a complete success, with all the soldiers being rescued. This daring raid is brought to life with specially commissioned artwork, detailed maps and overhead shots to recreate one of the greatest hostage-rescue success stories.

Operation Certain Death

Operation Certain Death PDF Author: Damien Lewis
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 150405556X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 574

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Book Description
The terrifyingly true tale of a daring British special forces rescue mission and all-out assault on a savage Sierra Leone guerrilla gang: “What a story!” (Frederick Forsyth, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Day of the Jackal). Officially, the SAS mission was called Operation Barras. The men on the ground called it Operation Certain Death. In 2000, the British Special Air Service (SAS) attempted its riskiest rescue mission in more than half a century. A year before, an eleven-man patrol of Royal Irish Rangers who were training government troops in Sierra Leone was captured and held prisoner by the infamously ruthless rebel forces known as the West Side Boys. Their fortified base was hidden deep in the West African jungle, its barricades adorned with severed heads on spikes. Some four hundred heavily armed renegades were not only bloodthirsty—they were drink-and-drugs crazed. The guerrillas favored pink shades, shower caps, and fluorescent wigs, draping themselves in voodoo charms they believed made them bulletproof—a delusion reenforced by the steady consumption of ganja, heroin, crack, and sweet palm wine. This was the vicious and cutthroat enemy British special forces would confront in order to rescue their own. Featuring extensive interviews with survivors, this gritty, blow-by-blow account of the bloody battle that brought an end to ten years of Africa’s most brutal civil war is “as good as any thriller I have ever read. This really is the low down” (Frederick Forsyth).

Certain Death in Sierra Leone

Certain Death in Sierra Leone PDF Author: Will Fowler
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1849082766
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 66

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Book Description
In September 2000 the notorious militia gang, 'West Side Boys' kidnapped eleven British soldiers in Sierra Leone and Operation Barras was launched as the rescue operation. Fast roping in from helicopters, the SAS soldiers engaged in a heavy firefight with the militia, killing several, and capturing their leader. Meanwhile the Paras advanced on foot, fighting their way through a village to recover the Land Rovers abandoned by the kidnapped soldiers. The operation was a complete success, with all the soldiers being rescued. This daring raid is brought to life with specially commissioned artwork, detailed maps and overhead shots to recreate one of the greatest hostage-rescue success stories.

Sierra Leone: Deliver a Blow

Sierra Leone: Deliver a Blow PDF Author: Andy Pacino
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781520199993
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 277

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Book Description
During the bloody civil war of Sierra Leone during the late 1990s and early 2000, the United Nations sent a peacekeeping force to try and stem the flow of blood from the vicious rebel-faction death squads and the innocent civilian population.Everyone old enough to carry a gun was a target, an enemy or a potential soldier for the rebels.A particularly blood-thirsty outfit, calling themselves the West Side Boys and modelling themselves on American rappers, operated out of the Occra Hills and had control of the surrounding area.In September of 2000, the West Side Boys captured a British Army patrol and held them captive in one of their camps. While the hostages were tortured and reared for their lives, Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair - possibly insulted by the rebels' actions - sent in the "Magic Dust" to make the problem go away. The SAS were deployed and tasked with firstly, rescuing the British hostages and were then under orders to "deliver a blow" to the West Side Boys.As far as Special Forces soldier, Dean Reagan, was concerned, this meant only one thing: kill every single one of the rebel soldiers. Kill them all.

Operation Barras

Operation Barras PDF Author: Will Fowler
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Great Britain
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
In May 2000 the British government had sent a military and naval task force to the troubled west African state of Sierra Leone to bolster the UN operation that was trying to restore peace and stability. On 25th August the dangers were suddenly highlighted by the capture of 11 British soldiers by a notorious militia gang. Originally published: Londo.

Sierra Leone: Deliver a Blow

Sierra Leone: Deliver a Blow PDF Author: Andy Pacino
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781520151922
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 253

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Book Description
During the bloody civil war of Sierra Leone during the late 1990s and early 2000, the United Nations sent a peacekeeping force to try and stem the flow of blood from the vicious rebel-faction death squads and the innocent civilian population.Everyone old enough to carry a gun was a target, an enemy or a potential soldier for the rebels. A particularly blood-thirsty outfit, calling themselves the West Side Boys and modelling themselves on American rappers, operated out of the Occra Hills and had control of the surrounding area. In September of 2000, the West Side Boys captured a British Army patrol and held them captive in one of their camps. While the hostages were tortured and reared for their lives, Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair - possibly insulted by the rebels' actions - sent in the "Magic Dust" to make the problem go away. The SAS were deployed and tasked with firstly, rescuing the British hostages and were then under orders to "deliver a blow" to the West Side Boys. As far as Special Forces soldier, Dean Reagan, was concerned, this meant only one thing: kill every single one of the rebel soldiers: kill them all.

Operation Certain Death

Operation Certain Death PDF Author: Damien Lewis
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 504

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Book Description
Lewis chronicles the story of the single most daring Special Forces operation since World War Two - Operation Barras; the attempted rescue by the SAS of the British Forces who were being held captive by the guerrilla gang, the West Side Boys, in the Sierra Leone jungle.

Blair's Successful War

Blair's Successful War PDF Author: Dr Andrew M Dorman
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 1409499367
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 174

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Book Description
Andrew Dorman introduces Sierra Leone as Blair's second great military adventure after Kosovo and the first he undertook on his own. It is tied to Blair's 1999 Chicago speech on the 'Doctrine of the International Community', his move towards humanitarianism and the impact of the Kosovo experience. The book links this move with the rise of cosmopolitan militaries and the increasing involvement of Western forces in humanitarian operations and their impact on the international system. Furthermore, it places it within the context of defence transformation and the emerging Western expeditionary capabilities, in particular the European Union's new battle group concept and developments in concepts such as Network Centric Warfare and Networked Enabled Capability. Examining the whole campaign and considering the impact on the Blair Government, this book will prove to be a key reader on the topic.

Sierra Leone: Deliver a Blow

Sierra Leone: Deliver a Blow PDF Author: Andy Pacino
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781521339107
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 231

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Book Description
Andy's work has taken him all over the world and he has written on a variety of subjects, including ESL and ELT in education, martial arts and football. The initial draft of this book, titled First Man Through The Door, was banned by the Ministry of Defence after worries concerning national security. The original publishers decided the fight was not worth pursuing, and the rights reverted back to Andy. After a re-write, which removed all references to Vinnie Keane - the original first person voice narrative - the book was released on Kindle as an e-book, and is now available in paperback. In 2016, Andy opened the first privately owned art gallery in Saudi Arabia's capital city, Riyadh. He currently represents a number of UK and Saudi artists, advises on art purchases, collections and installations. He also lectures on critical thinking in academic writing at a major Australian university campus in Dubai. Past work includes a number of art documentaries and a full length feature film.