MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands military experts involved in counter- terrorism.

As the focus switches to punishing the terrorists responsible for the horrific hi-jack attacks on New York and the Pentagon in Washington, the massive United Kingdom debate on what to do next involves senior military officers who played a decisive role in the 1982 Falklands conflict. Those still in the armed forces are engaged at the highest level in planning counter-terrorist action.

Prime Minister Tony Blair set off on a visit to Germany and France to galvanise support for an anti-terrorist broad-based coalition of nations before arriving in New York and Washington to see the damage and have talks with President Bush. He has assured the United States of full United Kingdom co-operation. The British security services and armed forces are on high alert both to deter any new terrorist attacks and to contribute to retaliatory strikes.

Any Royal Air Force role will be directed by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Air Peter Squire, KCB, DFC, AFC, ADC, FRA es, who bravely led low-level Harrier air attacks from the aircraft carrier Hermes in the recapture of the Falklands.

Another 1982 Falklands hero, Commander in Chief Fleet, Admiral Sir Alan West, will play a vital role in any naval operations from the combined forces headquarters in Northwood near London from where the 1982 conflict was directed. As the youngest Commander in the Royal Navy in 1982, only 33, he was captain of the frigate HMS Ardent which was sunk by Argentine bombing, with heavy casualties. Commander West was the last to leave the ship and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Any British Army participation in Afghanistan to capture the main terrorist suspect, Osama Bin Laden, will benefit from the expertise of former Special Air Services Director, Lieutenant General Sir Cedric Delves, recently Deputy Commander-in-Chief of United Kingdom Land forces, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his Falklands Service. He was involved in the recovery of South Georgia, whose mountainous terrain and harsh weather conditions are similar to Afghanistan's. General Delves has master-minded some of the elite SAS's most daring missions in Oman, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar and the former Yugoslavia.

SAS may be involved in Afghanistan

Reports in the British media suggest that British SAS units may already be in Afghanistan gathering intelligence as they did in the Falklands in advance of the fighting. By coincidence, Britain's biggest naval task force since the Falklands War had already been despatched to the Middle East for an amphibious assault exercise in Oman in October to demonstra