US to expand secret operations
The secret directive was approved in September by General David Petraeus.
The United States is planning to expand its secret military operations across the Middle East, central Asia and east Africa, a newly-released report says.
The secret activities are apparently designed to "penetrate, disrupt, defeat or destroy" terror cells such as al-Qaeda, the New York Times said on Monday, citing a military document.
The directive was approved in September by US General David Petraeus.
The order also focuses on intelligence gathering "by American troops, foreign businesspeople, academics or others" to forge "persistent situational awareness" in the target countries, the Times said.
Alongside those goals, the order also permits secret efforts that would prepare for potential future attacks by US forces in those nations.
Even though the document doesn't single out a specific country for a strike, it does allow for reconnaissance ahead of possible military action, such as in Iran over its nuclear program.
The order, known as the Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force Execute, is not under full supervision by the administration nor does it report to Congress.
This means that it "cannot or will not be accomplished" by the regular military apparatus, the Times said.
General Petraeus's order is however expected to have a "close relationship" with the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency, a CIA source told the newspaper.
The new directive not only echoes moves by former president George W. Bush's administration to expand military operations outside of warzones, but it also intends to make such efforts more systematic and long-term.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id...tionid=3510203