“Secret SAS squadron sent to spy in Africa” – Australia covertly expands military ops [The Age]

Rafael Epstein and Dylan Welch
March 13, 2012

A secret squadron of Australian SAS soldiers has been operating at large in Africa, performing work normally done by spies, in an unannounced and possibly dangerous expansion of Australia’s foreign military engagement.

The deployment of the SAS’s 4 Squadron – the existence of which has never been publicly confirmed – has put the special forces unit at the outer reaches of Australian and international law.

The Age has confirmed that troopers from the squadron have mounted dozens of secret operations over the past year in African nations including Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Kenya.

They have been out of uniform and not accompanied by Australian Secret Intelligence Service officers with whom undercover SAS forces are conventionally deployed…

…But the operations have raised serious concerns within the Australian military and intelligence community because they involve countries where Australia is not at war….

…While the SAS has worked alongside Australia’s intelligence agencies for decades, the creation of a dedicated squadron mirrors the US model, where the military and the intelligence services have closer links…

Excerpted by Zuo Shou

Article link: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/secret-sas-squadron-sent-to-spy-in-africa-20120312-1uwjs.html