LONDON: The places evoke past battles and names of celebrated commanders: Tobruk, Tripoli, Montgomery, Rommel, Wavell, Auchinleck.

In some of the most significant battles of the second world war, British-led troops in the western desert pushed the axis forces out of north Africa. Now the Libyan-Egyptian border area is witnessing another seismic development — opposition to a dictatorial colonel only recently considered virtually invulnerable.It is also the birthplace of the UK's elite fighting force — the SAS — whose troops have been waiting in Malta primed to return, not this time to blow up enemy supply lines, but to rescue stranded British civilians who have been busy restoring the Libya's infrastructure. And, in contrast to 70 years ago, the British government is refusing to discuss the SAS's putative mission.

The idea this time is that they would fly in with an empty RAF Hercules, rather than in trucks laden with extra fuel tanks with no room for any escapees. First named the Long Range Desert Group, the SAS was formed in 1941 and were praised for their derring-do even by the Desert Fox himself, Field Marshal Rommel. In one of their first successful missions, they attacked three airfields in Libya, destroying 60 aircraft. The group's battle honours include Tobruk in 1941 and a raid on Benghazi in 1942.

And in one of many controversial episodes in the turbulent, topsy-turvy, relationship between Britain and Libya, British special forces two years ago were asked to train Libyan troops in one of the deals done with the new, post-Lockerbie, post-weapons of mass destruction Qadhafi regime.

The Libyan capital, Tripoli, meanwhile, features prominently in the official hymn of the US marines: “From the halls of Montezuma/ To the shores of Tripoli/ We fight our country's battles/ In the air, on land, and sea.”

Montezuma refers to a battle of Chapultepec, during the Mexican-American war in 1847. Tripoli was attacked during the first Barbary war — against pirates — in 1805.

It appears the Obama administration no more wants the marines to land on the shores of the Libyan capital any more than the UK government wants to send in the SAS.—Dawn/Guardian News Service