Hague blamed over ‘ill conceived’ SAS expedition to Libyan rebels

The Foreign Secretary confirmed yesterday that he authorised the decision to send an eight-strong team, including special forces, into the troubled country in an attempt to foster links with opponents of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

But the plans appear to have gone wrong early on when their helicopter sparked an alert by landing near Benghazi without informing rebel commanders. In a statement to MPs, Mr Hague said the men were withdrawn after a “serious misunderstanding” over their role.

Sir Menzies Campbell, the former Liberal Democrat leader, called the operation “ill conceived, poorly planned and embarrassingly executed” and told Mr Hague Britain would now have to “restore” its reputation abroad.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary, Douglas Alexander, said the affair was another setback for the UK and raised “further serious questions about Ministers’ grip and response to the unfolding events in Libya”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the decision to send the diplomatic team” to Benghazi was taken by Mr Hague “in the normal way”.

The group was reportedly detained after a search of their bags revealed ammunition, explosives, maps and fake passports.

A telephone call from the UK ambassador to Libya, Richard Northern, to a rebel leader to clear up the “misunderstanding” was then apparently intercepted and broadcast.

The team was finally freed and left Libya on Sunday night.