Officials in the IDF have always been tight-lipped when it comes to sharing details about their special forces and their risky operations. However, it's clear from the recent creation of some new organizations that Israeli special forces are working hard to remain on the cutting edge while staying true to the unorthodox legacy of their "founder."

There are five categories of Israeli special forces. In the largest category are the reconnaissance units called Sayerot, which have no equal in other armies in their structure and missions. The closest equivalents are US Army Rangers, but the latter have their own formations, while in the IDF each regular infantry brigade, some armor, and even combat engineer formations have an elite Sayeret, formed entirely by highly select volunteers. They act as point forces in any operational foray and are specifically trained to function as explosives-handling light infantrymen. Although the Sayerot units each belong to a distinct brigade, they can be used as deep-penetration forces operating separately, even beyond Israel's borders. Their reconnaissance commando training is supplemented by intensive counter-terrorist instruction.

The volunteers for these highly professional combat units are selected from conscripts with only three years of service. They undergo a rigorous screening process designed to identify the best of the crop of highly motivated youth. Soldiers serving in the Sayerot forces are regarded as the best fighters in the army, and many later become officers or junior combat leaders.

In the second category of Israeli special forces are undercover anti-terrorist units whose mission is to identify, locate, and kill or capture terrorists, mainly in the occupied territories. Members of these units normally operate wearing Arab disguises to mix with the population in their dangerous task. Over the years these undercover units reportedly have become the most feared opponents of fanatical terrorists.

The General Headquarters (GHQ) Recon unit comprises the pick of Israel's elite forces and is one of the best-trained special forces units in the world. Akin to Britain's SAS, its members undergo highly specialized training in skills such as free-fall parachuting, cross-country driving, scuba diving, and the use of special weapons. This general staff anti-terrorist unit had remained in the shadows for many years until a serious training accident in late 1992 attracted media coverage and revealed its existence for the first time. Many of the GHQ Recon unit's daring missions remain top secret, but among those publicly acknowledged is the vaunted 1976 Entebbe rescue operation in Uganda. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his chief political opponent, former-IDF boss Ehud Barak, were both officers in this unit.

Working closely with the GHQ Recon in spirited, but friendly, competition is the highly regarded naval commando unit Flotilla 13. Although under the separate command of Navy HQ, this all-volunteer unit akin to US Navy SEALs often performs more than just missions from the sea. Although it lost 12 commandos last September during a botched assault on a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, it has had a long string of successful missions.

Finally, the newest addition to Israel's special forces are anti-guerrilla units, specially trained to combat the growing threat of the Hezbollah in South Lebanon. One such unit, Sayeret EGOZ (Walnut), became public recently. Its members are trained to move stealthily and to locate and strike the guerrillas, using their intimate knowledge of the territory to place ambushes along suspected infiltration routes.

These new anti-guerrilla units were formed following years of sporadic success against the increasing fighting skill of the Hezbollah, many of whose fighters were trained by experienced Iranian instructors. Over the years of constant combat, the guerrillas gained a considerable advantage against Israeli regular troops, who were trained mainly for high-intensity warfare and had spent only limited periods in Lebanon. Even the Sayerot, who receive training in small-unit tactics, were having difficulties against the guerrillas, who fought for sustained periods in the same familiar territory. Thus, the creation of specialized anti-guerrilla forces became inevitable. To bolster the units' fighting skills and to develop tactics for anti-guerrilla warfare in South Lebanon, a dedicated school with combat-experienced instructors was established. Recent successes have proven these units a good investment.

NEED FOR UNIFIED COMMAND

Perhaps inspired by the US Special Operations Command or the British Army Directorate of Special Forces headquarters, the IDF is considering the formation of a special commando corps. It could integrate the special operations elements of the Israeli army, navy, and air force, including those involved in anti-guerrilla warfare. Deep-penetration missions, in particular, while normally carried out at night by small units, would undoubtedly benefit from the detailed coordination and integrated command and control that could result. *