Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb Women will soon be able to apply for any role in the British military including in previously off-limits elite units like the famed SAS Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said women already serving in the army would be able to transfer immediately into now-available infantry roles Meanwhile new recruits can apply from December for the roles covering branches such as the Royal Marines with basic training beginning in April next year servicewomen could then try to join elite units such as the Special Air Service (SAS) Britain lifted a ban on women serving in so-called close combat units in 2016 (function(v,d,o,ai){ai=d.createElement("script");ai.defer=true;ai.async=true;ai.src=v.location.protocol+o;d.head.appendChild(ai);})(window our armed forces will be determined by ability alone and not gender," Williamson said at an army demonstration on Salisbury Plain in southwest England "Opening all combat roles to women will not only make the armed forces a more modern employer but will ensure we recruit the right person for the right role," he added at the event which involved some of the first women to join the Royal Armoured Corps It was the first ground close combat branch to open its doors to female soldiers and officers followed by the Royal Air Force Regiment in September last year Around 35 women have joined the Royal Armoured Corps since the rules were relaxed with a number of personnel already deploying to Estonia and Oman Preparations made in the aftermath of the Iranian embassy siege in London included a "pro forma agreement" that could be handed over to foreign governments before special forces were ordered in Foreign Office files opened under the 30-year rule show The televised storming of the embassy building in Prince's Gate on 5 May 1980 boosted the SAS's international prestige and generated invitations to deploy them abroad Rescue missions were organised under the codename Operation Pulpit "The successful outcome … will lead to a fresh wave of requests for SAS training teams to visit well-disposed Middle Eastern countries," observed a senior Foreign Office diplomat "There should be no problem in dealing with such requests save the limited resources of the SAS themselves." He also anticipated the use of the SAS "in the event of a future hijack or siege involving hostages" marked secret and entitled Future Use of SAS Squads recorded that the UK's most highly trained troops might be loaned to "resolve the problem" A "pro forma agreement" should be drafted … covering use of the SAS in a third country The draft should include: "Immunity from prosecution and all claims in the event of causing casualties; life insurance and so on." SAS training tours to friendly countries should stress "that command and control is as important as the actual military gymnastics," the official cautioned But the Ministry of Defence insisted that the Foreign Office should pay for such emergency deployments Another civil servant was sceptical about the need for extra paperwork "If a Pulpit force was sent in at the request of a government we probably would insist on that government accepting prior responsibility for any claims for damage or injury," he said there would probably be no problem about payment But if things went badly it seems doubtful that the government concerned would pay up willingly." The Iranian embassy siege had begun when six gunmen walked into the building on 30 April demanding autonomy for the south-eastern Iranian province of Khuzestan The first FCO telegram wrongly suggested the militants might be Iraqis When told by a diplomat that they had threatened to blow up the embassy reportedly replied: "Let them." An Iranian counsellor at the embassy who escaped across the window sills to the neighbouring Ethiopian embassy wrote a note to the foreign secretary He requested that British "security forces take all possible measures to safeguard [the hostages'] lives" The letter gave [the SAS] "good legal cover for making a forcible entry," the Foreign Office noted The files record growing Foreign Office fury at what it viewed as evasions by Arab ambassadors who declined to help negotiate a peaceful end to the hostage-taking Only Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) representatives volunteered to act as intermediaries Carrington circulated a telegram to Middle Eastern embassies saying: "HMG is determined to end the siege if possible without bloodshed." His idea was that Arab diplomats would stand outside the embassy and be able to talk to the gunmen while protected by police "who are determined to prevent any risk of capture" Other Arab diplomats were still discussing the plan when on the sixth day of the siege gunshots were heard and a body was pushed out of the embassy front door The SAS was ordered in shortly afterwards. Nineteen of the remaining hostages were rescued alive; only one was killed. Five of the six militants died in the SAS assault The Kuwaiti ambassador rang the Middle East department of the Foreign Office to offer congratulations "I said … we had been disappointed in the reaction of the ambassadors," the official recorded "If they had been willing to play a more constructive role it was possible the five people killed might still be alive." "Taghavi [an Iranian official] was effusive in his thanks for our handling of the embassy siege," a UK diplomat wrote Plant for Production of Caustic Soda, PVC, and Calcium Carbide to Emerge in Turkestan Region, DKNews.kz reports JSC "Development Bank of Kazakhstan" (a subsidiary of "Baiterek" National Management Holding hereinafter referred to as DBK or the Bank) initiated financing for an investment project aimed at manufacturing caustic soda and calcium carbide in the Turkestan region The project is undertaken by the company "Innovative Complex Sastobe" The project is planned to be supported through co-financing in collaboration with a second-tier bank in Kazakhstan Its total cost amounts to KZT 153.88 billion with DBK contributing up to KZT 64.46 billion The plant will generate a significant socio-economic impact on the development of the Turkestan region with 346 jobs for Kazakhstani specialists upon commencement of operations the plant will produce up to 100,000 tons of caustic soda and 180,000 tons of calcium carbide annually exports are planned to the EAEU and the European Union The new unique production will provide the domestic market with raw materials for a wide range of finished goods in demand by domestic businesses Caustic soda has a broad spectrum of applications in various industries It is used in the production of detergents Polyvinyl chloride belongs to synthetic materials It is used in the production of medical products (containers for storage and transportation of blood preparations and internal organs as packaging (film for soft and hard grains mobile phone cases and accessories for them) DKNews International News Agency is registered with the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan "},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" "},"children":[]},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"The Times"},"children":[]}]},{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" has been told that plans to embed special forces personnel in counter-terrorism surveillance teams across Britain are being considered "},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" As the Olympic Games draw closer the SAS squadron on standby to respond to a terrorist incident may be moved from the regiment’s base in Hereford to a London barracks "},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" SAS personnel were “scrambled” during a major terrorism alert on New Year’s Eve that turned out to be a false alarm The incident led some in Whitehall to conclude that the regiment’s counter-terrorism team was too far away from likely targets "},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" Any regular deployment of special forces alongside police would raise"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":200})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" SAS soldiers could be routinely deployed alongside police and MI5 in anti-terrorist operations as fears grow of a Mumbai-style attack in Britain The TimesSAS soldiers could be deployed alongside police and MI5 in anti-terrorist operationsWednesday February 23 2011 The Times SAS soldiers could be routinely deployed alongside police and MI5 in anti-terrorist operations as fears grow of a Mumbai-style attack in Britain The Times has been told that plans to embed special forces personnel in counter-terrorism surveillance teams across Britain are being considered SAS personnel were “scrambled” during a major terrorism alert on New Year’s Eve that turned out to be a false alarm Any regular deployment of special forces alongside police Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. a defence minister says.Allegations that British SAS troops killed detainees in Afghanistan will not be "buried" and will be "investigated fully" if the new evidence is handed over by the BBC All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueResponding to an urgent question in the Commons on new allegations concerning British Special Forces in Afghanistan James Heappey said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) would not "rule out" any kind of investigation into the claims Labour argued an independent investigation into the allegations would "secure justice for any of those affected" and would "protect the reputation of our British Special Forces" British Special Forces soldiers allegedly killed detainees and unarmed men in suspicious circumstances during counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan The Panorama investigation reportedly uncovered 54 suspicious killings carried out by one British SAS unit on a six-month tour of Afghanistan in 2010/11 Heappey said it was his understanding that the "allegedly criminal events referred to in the Panorama program have been fully investigated by the service police" but stressed that the MoD remained "fully committed to any further reviews from investigations where new evidence or reason to do so is presented" He told the Commons that the Royal Military Police (RMP) and BBC were in discussions about Panorama handing over any new evidence He said: "A decision to investigate the allegations of criminality is for the service police They provide an independent and impartial investigative capability the Royal Military Police wrote to the production team of Panorama to request that any new evidence be provided to them .. I understand that the BBC has responded to question the legal basis on which the RMP are requesting that new evidence but the RMP and the BBC are in discussions." Shadow defence secretary John Healey said similar allegations against Australian special forces had been subject to an independent investigation asking: "Will the Government now do the same "To investigate these claims and any cover-ups in the chain of command to secure justice for any of those affected and above all to protect the reputation of our British Special Forces?" The defence minister said the allegations "won't be buried" adding: "That does no service to our armed forces whatsoever They will be investigated fully if the new evidence is handed over." He added: "The Secretary of State was very clear when I spoke to him earlier in the week on this matter that he is not ruling out any type of public inquiry or review "If it is clear that there are failings that need to be looked at the MoD wants this to be as transparent as possible so that everybody can have confidence in the service justice system and the reputation of our armed forces can remain untarnished." Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. Don't miss updates on news about the Public Service. Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. The latest news, results & expert analysis. Your exclusive preview of David Pope's latest cartoon. Join our weekly poll for Canberra Times readers. We've selected the best reading for your weekend. Get the latest property and development news here. Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! The elite troops are also getting an arsenal of new weapons, tried and tested by US special forces. Lethal bullets designed to “drop” jihadis on the spot will be issued in the next few weeks. One type of ammunition – the Rapidly Invasive Projectile, or RIP – is designed to cause the maximum internal damage to a target. The bullet, described as the most lethal ever made, is made by US company G2 Research. It is designed to splinter into eight pieces, each causing as much damage as a single ordinary round. The manufacturers’ website states: “It is capable of going through barriers such as sheet rock, plywood, sheet metal or glass and still performs its original intent. The bullet shreds through solid objects and, only then, expends its energy.” One intelligence source said: “We need bullets with stopping power. They don’t always have to be high-powered. “The 5.56mm round issued to the Army will pass straight through a body but won’t necessarily drop a target. There were cases in Afghanistan where soldiers had to shoot the Taliban two or three times before they went down. “A lot of damage can be done in those few seconds. Expanding bullets are very unpleasant – they produce a massive hole – but will stop a target in its tracks.” The bullets also reduce the risk of ricochets striking innocent bystanders or hostages as the body takes the brunt of the impact. G2R officials said they have tested the bullets in a range of automatic and semiautomatic weapons, as well as in rifles, with a 100% success rate. British special forces will also be equipped with “hollow point” rounds which work in a similar way to the RIP. Instead of splintering, the bullet tip flattens out and produces a massive wound. The SAS counter-terrorist team will use the bullets in their new HK MP7a1 sub-machines – the weapon used by members of the US Navy’s Seal Team 6 to kill Osama bin Laden. It is regarded as the best close-quarters submachine gun in the world and is described as the perfect counterterrorist tool. It is small enough to be hidden beneath clothing but has a rate of fire of 950 rounds per minute and weighs just 2.65lbs. In an attempt to bolster security on the streets of London after last week’s shocking terrorist attack at Westminster Britain’s elite special forces fighting unit the SAS are “to be deployed to London’s” streets The SAS who are normally based at their headquartes in Credinhill Hereford will be stationed at a secret location within the capital and will reportedly be on an armed “immediate notice to move” according to the Daily Star They will be in London for at least a year with the purpose of dealing with terrorist incidents to include a “marauding firearms attack” along with hostage taking in a move to beef up security within London A security source told the Daily Star: “Incidents such as last Wednesday’s attack always highlight weaknesses in any security system “No system is perfect but it’s important that any perceived weaknesses are addressed People need to know how to react in an emergency.” The SAS team that’s to be selected for London will have ability to “fast rope” from helicopters on to roof tops and enter buildings using explosives and will be armed with special “take-down” bullets which are designed to instantly kill It was further revealed yesterday that Britain’s elite SAS troops will also train MPs in how to react in a terrorist attack It is also understood that Britain’s Security Service otherwise known as MI5 is reviewing its intelligence gathering after last week’s terrorist attack that injured over 50 people killing 4 A source told the Daily Star: “This is not the first time that a terrorist who was on MI5’s radar has carried out a criminal act MI5 are working 24/7 trying to establish whether this attack is a one off or the first part of a wider plan.” Vladimir Putin has claimed he will not use nuclear weapons as the Russian Army … Record global temperatures around 1.4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial averages led to more heatwaves and floods longer wildfire seasons and widespread droughts in 2023 City Hall has triggered a ‘high’ air pollution alert in London on Thursday due to an increase in air pollution on from mainland Europe Imperial College London forecasters … The Unite union who backs Labour has hit out at the government’s net zero plans and has told Ed Milliband “the time to act is now” as they … has accelerated growth by an impressive 60% over the last 12 months alone after firmly establishing its niche in the Hospitality the world’s leading digital frontline workplace has released new survey findings showing that UK retailers fear a looming workforce crisis Over half (53%) have already frozen recruitment … West London was “evacuated” on Thursday just before noon due “to a fire” breaking out Staff and Patients were evacuated as a precaution … Rising in ranks in the workplace to a position of power like a manager is not an easy thing you need to have a comfortable night’s rest on your business trip Frequent flyers between Singapore and London will know these two … Marks & Spencer has said that some of their stores are still being disrupted by the fallout of the cyberattack and there is “pockets of availability.” The retailer …