US expands special operations forces around world The Obama administration has significantly expanded the deployment of US military special operations forces around the world against al-Qaeda and other groups, according to officials.
By Alex Spillius in Washington Published: 5:34PM BST 04 Jun 2010 The increased use of secret units has now extended to 75 countries, compared to about 60 at the beginning of last year when President Barack Obama took office. In addition to units that have spent years in the Philippines and Colombia, US special operations teams were also operating in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. Such units were deployed as a front-line counterterrorism weapon for the United States after the September 11, 2001, attacks. But despite rhetoric about pursuing “soft power”, Mr Obama has made these forces a far more integrated part of his global security strategy. The report comes amid criticism from the United Nations about the secrecy of CIA drone attacks on terror targets in Pakistan, and complaints from liberal supporters of the president that his anti-terror policies follow George W Bush’s too closely. The president has asked Congress for a 5.7 per cent increase in the special operations budget for 2011, for a total of $6.3 billion (£4.3 billion). Special operations commanders have also become a far more regular presence at the White House than they were during the Bush administration. “We have a lot more access,” one military official told the Washington Post. “They are talking publicly much less but they are acting more. They are willing to get aggressive much more quickly.” US officials said last month General David Petraeus, who oversees the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, issued a secret order in 2009 paving the way for an escalation of covert operations across the Middle East and the Horn Africa. Http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7804251/US- expands-special-operations-forces-around-world.html -- MARKETPLACE Stay on top of your group activity without leaving the page you're on - Get the Yahoo! Toolbar now.<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15o0qrbb8/M=493064.13983314.14041046.13298430/D=groups/S=1705060169:MKP1/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1275686900/L=55b0ce2a-700f-11df-9a64-475f6efae5eb/B=NH4Yp2KImhM-/J=1275679700894030/K=q56RqUrd8bU5LTQwpL8HEg/A=6060255/R=0/SIG=1194m4keh/*http://us.toolbar.yahoo.com/?.cpdl=grpj> ------------------------------ Get great advice about dogs and cats. Visit the Dog & Cat Answers Center.<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15o0i788j/M=493064.13814537.14041040.10835568/D=groups/S=1705060169:MKP1/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1275686900/L=55b0ce2a-700f-11df-9a64-475f6efae5eb/B=NX4Yp2KImhM-/J=1275679700894030/K=q56RqUrd8bU5LTQwpL8HEg/A=6078812/R=0/SIG=114ae4ln1/*http://dogandcatanswers.yahoo.com/> ------------------------------ Get real-time World Cup coverage on the Yahoo! Toolbar. Download now to win a signed team jersey!<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15o2880lo/M=493064.14012770.13963757.13298430/D=groups/S=1705060169:MKP1/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1275686900/L=55b0ce2a-700f-11df-9a64-475f6efae5eb/B=Nn4Yp2KImhM-/J=1275679700894030/K=q56RqUrd8bU5LTQwpL8HEg/A=6093983/R=0/*http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylc=X3oDMTFnaW51Y3EyBHRtX2RtZWNoA1RleHQgTGluawR0bV9sbmsDVTExMjc3MDUEdG1fbmV0A1lhaG9vIQ--/SIG=1219e5kan/**http%3A//toolbar.yahoo.com/tour%3Ftab=wc%26.intl=us%26.cpdl=wc> [image: Yahoo! Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJkMHMxNWYwBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIyMzcxMjgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYwMTY5BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA2dmcARzdGltZQMxMjc1Njc5NzAw> Switch to: Text-Only<[email protected]?subject=change+delivery+format:+Traditional>, Daily Digest<[email protected]?subject=email+delivery:+Digest>• Unsubscribe<[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe>• Terms of Use <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> . __,_._,___ -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
