The federal government is refusing to tell the Australian people if it has secretly deployed the nation’s most elite fighting soldiers to the war in the Middle East, sticking to a long-held tradition of keeping the movements of the SAS top secret. A new report suggests about 90 SAS troops were sent to the Middle East roughly a fortnight ago, likely to Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. The elite special forces are reportedly on standby in case Australians in the region need help evacuating.