0:00:00 – Opening
0:06:00 – Dean Stott, British SBS
3:21:42 – How to stay on THE PATH.
3:37:00 – Closing Gratitude
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Its great, to hear jocko explaining brit slang.
To hear someone say that they single handedly evacuated the Canadian Embassy and its personnel is very disheartening.
My name is Steve Cruickshanks and I was a Close Protection Operator (CPO) deployed on that mission and here are the facts:
Mr Scott did play a role in this evacuation no doubt about it. He definitely completed the advance work to meet with local leaders between Tripoli and the Tunisian border in order to give the Canadian contingent the best possible chance of safe passage. As far as the actual mission to evacuate the Canadian diplomats is concerned… that mission was completed by the team of CPO’s on the ground that had been protecting the diplomats and the embassy for the 5 months leading up to the shutter of the embassy. Members of the CP team participated in the recce phase of the operation, completed the entirety of the mission orders and briefing, and conducted the actual mission which included the Close Personal Protection of the Canadian Diplomats. In the days leading up to the evacuation, my team members escorted our diplomats to our embassy in order to remove sensitive property and physically secure the embassy prior to our evacuation. During the intense militia fighting that sent stray rounds through our compound my team “hard pointed” our diplomats and provided round the clock body guard coverage. Finally, on the morning that we departed Tripoli enroute to Tunis, Mr. Scott left earlier than the motorcade to advance the route to the border. He had with him the “fish trucks” he described that were full with our members personal luggage. The diplomats and sensitive items were protected and escorted the Close Protection team from Tripoli to the Canadian Embassy in Tunis. We did have drone coverage and were involved in a vehicle accident prior to reaching the border but I can swear to the fact that Mr. Scott was not there. Mr. Scott in my opinion did an outstanding job with his part of the mission but he did not in any way/shape/or form single handedly evacuate the Canadian Mission in Tripoli in 2014. After returning to Canada not a single member of the CP Team received recognition or awards for this mission which is another sad truth.
All of the above is absolute truth, I was there.
Stephen Cruickshanks, CD
Sergeant (Retired)
Canadian Armed Forces
Hi Steve,
Firstly I must emphasise that I would never use platforms like this to discuss operations, and conscious they are not the place to highlight sensitive information. However I feel your statement above needs addressing and clarity to fill in the many gaps.
Yes you and your CPO team were tasked to protect the Canadian Embassy staff on Operation Lobb, and did so admirably for the 5 months and on the lead up to the Embassy closing. Unfortunately when the Tripoli International airport got burnt down, this limited an extraction option for you and so the road move to Tunis was the only viable option available.
Having already successfully executed earlier evacuations with some NGO staff during this period and the fact I had proven the road move route, this made me the perfect candidate. I was then contracted as a private security operator to assist the Canadian Embassy in the evacuation from Tripoli to Tunis.
The operation was called “Beavertail” and this name was chosen by myself.
With the British Embassy having been shot at the week before near camp 24 this was causing concern and worry, and so on the days leading up to the event I went out to visit the militias at camp 24 to explain the situation. I then did this with all the tribal elders in the major towns along the coastal road in Zawiyah, Sabratah and Zauara to ensure that they were aware of the situation and show courtesy to them.
I also had identified safe houses along the route large enough to accommodate your team and vehicles should there be an emergency or you needed a safe haven/ stop short, this information along with the route were fed back to your team.
On the morning of the evacuation, I moved forward ahead of your convoy as a SAP (Security Advance Party) in a soft skin vehicle and not in an armoured 4×4 as to maintain a low profile. I should also add that in my vehicle was also a cat belonging to one of your diplomats because your team refused to travel with it. This vehicle was a surveillance vehicle for me to be able to report back to your Team Leader the ground situation and act as an early warning system.
When I got to the first designated waypoint I communicated with your Team leader (initials CW) that it was then safe for you to proceed and move off. When you got to camp 24, your reception there was very different from that the British had received due to the earlier meetings that had been conducted whilst you were back in Palm City.
I continued communicating with your Team Leader through all the towns and checkpoints to relay back real time information, the atmospherics and any potential threats. I then waited at the FRV which I had designated, this was a communications tower passed the town of Zauara and just short of the border, this FRV was established so you could pack your weapons away and have a final toilet break before proceeding to the border.
I remember waiting some time and concerned you were slow, when you finally arrived it became clear that one of the vehicles in your 6-vehicle convoy had an RTA with a local civilian. We both know who was at fault with that RTA and again not the platform to discuss.
Yes I wasn’t at that RTA however when we arrived at the border, the driver involved had pursued the convoy and was causing a situation that was bringing unwanted attention to the convoy and so I then got involved. As I collected all your passports whilst you all remained locked in your armoured vehicles, my local fixer was still having to calm down the situation with the civilian driver and buy us time to get you across before it attracted any unwanted 3rd party attention.
When we finally got through the border, you were met by the Canadian Embassy based in Tunis and all obviously relieved that the mission was a success. Your convoy was escorted by blue light onwards to Tunis, myself in the soft skin was pushed out of that convoy and followed on later. On arriving in Tunis I continued to work to liaise with the fish wagons and ensure your equipment arrived safely.
The following day you all flew home to Canada and myself went back into Libya. I charged only $7000 to pay the drivers of my vehicle, my fixer and the fish wagon drivers comfortably.
This operation to me is much more important than being recognised with honors or awards, knowing 22 personnel got home safely to their families is what’s important.
Yes you and your CPO team protected your clients in the armoured vehicles on the road move from Tripoli to Tunis and that isn’t being questioned. What you didn’t see or clearly understand from the walls of palm city or your armoured vehicle was myself providing forward surveillance, intelligence and a security bubble around you from the moment I was contracted to the day you crossed the border.
As a private security operator, this was a role that was carried out and executed single handedly.
I shouldn’t have to explain myself, especially on these means but if you question my integrity then I provide facts and details.
Dean Stott (with a T not a C)
(Retd: UKSF SBS)
Mr. Stott,
Firstly, my apologies for the spelling mistake on your name. It was an autocorrect error and no disrespect was meant by it.
Secondly, I think we are now both more or less on the same page here. The disagreement was only around the statement that you made with Jocko as you described your role as “Single handedly” evacuating the Canadian Embassy. That statement came across as offensive to the outstanding soldiers that I served with on that mission which prompted me to reach out here. I am not taking anything away from the role you played and in fact complimented you on it. Being a lone operator with a fixer on the recce phase is very impressive and frankly any of us would love to have taken part in that. In addition, you were a lone operator on the SAP which is also impressive and we appreciate you for it. All of that to say and you provided your more detailed version of this showing that no-one single handedly evacuated the Canadian Embassy. The embassy was evacuated by my team in partnership with you and your services and because of everyone involved, it was completed safely.
Lastly, the awards comment was in response to Mrs. Stott’s comments (before deleted) directed at one of my teammates to enjoy the awards or accolades (I forget its exact wording). We never asked for recognition because we serve for each other, and I know you get it.
Sincerely Dean, I wish for your continued success.
Stay Frosty,
Steve Cruickshanks
Not a bad interview, but I would have preferred to hear the story of someone from a foreign service that has a bond of loyalty with America. I can think of thousands of Irishmen would fit this category. If your having trouble finding them, I will provide you with a name that is at the top of my list; Kevin Owens. You need to have him on the podcast. His details below-
Kevin Owens (IG: @kevin.p.owens):
Kevin Owens grew up in Ireland where he served in the Tier One Counter-Terrorist Force. After immigrating to the United States, he served 24-years in the United States Army – 6 in the infantry and 18 in Special Forces. He served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times, ran the Special Forces Sniper Course, and was in charge of all Force Modernization for Army Special Forces.
Loved reading Stotty’s book but enjoyed this podcast even more because Dean elaborated more on the contents off his book.
We both joined the army at the same time and went through basic and combat engineering training together, he was a top bloke, super fit and always stood out from the rest of us! It’s great to hear how well he has done in life and continues to do so.
Keep it up Stotty 👍