“Are we rushin' in, or are we goin' sneaky-beaky like?” ―SAS

The world-renowned British Special Air Service (SAS) was founded in the Second World War by a man named David Stirling. Their role during WW2 involved gathering intelligence behind enemy lines and executing sabotage strikes and assassinations against key targets.

The SAS was not formed to fight terrorism at first. After the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, the British government turned to the SAS to answer the concerns of global terrorism. The SAS had already developed their status as the counter-revolutionary warfare unit at that time and they were turned into a Counter-Terrorism unit.

Previously an obscure regiment, the SAS came to prominence with their dramatic ending of a terrorist siege at the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980, where their zip line assault through the windows was broadcast live on both main British television channels in prime time on a public holiday.