You can semantically argue anything you want, but ultimately I can’t imagine any scenario where this would have been an actual war, or even resembling one.
If the goal was to seize assets contained within a one, or just several buildings, the most likely way this would have played out would have been covert foreign intelligence teams, not an SAS commando raid with a bodycount.
Would it have been incredibly dumb, and probably end up with the intelligence officers/assets arrested? Sure.
Would it have been anything like a HVT snatch and grab in Afghanistan? No. Just no.
You can semantically argue anything you want, but ultimately I can’t imagine any scenario where this would have been an actual war, or even resembling one.
If the goal was to seize assets contained within a one, or just several buildings, the most likely way this would have played out would have been covert foreign intelligence teams, not an SAS commando raid with a bodycount.
Would it have been incredibly dumb, and probably end up with the intelligence officers/assets arrested? Sure.
Would it have been anything like a HVT snatch and grab in Afghanistan? No. Just no.
Like I said, an even dumber, dumb Watergate.