User blog comment:Omnicube1/Spetsnaz vs. Shayetet 13 (Reality Matchup)/@comment-5765032-20121126161833/@comment-202.208.159.170-20130113231223

Alpha did fine in the theatre. The problem was that the government refused to tell the paramedics what they've used until much later, which made it difficult to treat the hostages, along with the improper way a number of rescue workers laid the hostages(on their backs). It's also unknown who exactly released the gas, and it's reported that several of Alpha operatives were affected by the gas as well.

The school crisis, however, was quite a disaster. Too many unknowns, dead man switches, executions by the insurgents, etc.

Spetsnaz is short for Voyska spetsialnogo naznacheniya, which translates to special forces. It's an umbrella term for any sort of special forces, which is why you'd hear Russian news broadcasts say 'spetsnaz' for the special forces of any country, not just their own.

In the end, no group is perfect. Sooner or later they'll make mistakes, especially if they've been around long enough along with a number of other things such as who's leading the operation.