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NEWS ABOUT: Special Ops

Special Forces Boss Seeks Freer Hand

Admiral William McRaven wants more autonomy in deploying special ops

(Newser) - As the US increasingly turns to Special Forces instead of troop deployments to make surgical hits, the admiral in charge of Special Forces Command is looking for more autonomy in positioning his elite units and their equipment around the world, reports the New York Times . Admiral William McRaven, who oversaw... More »

CIA Fills Void in Iraq, Afghanistan

Agency expects to maintain large stations there for years

(Newser) - US troops may be leaving Iraq and Afghanistan, but the CIA isn't. The agency's stations in the two countries may see staffing levels fall off a bit, but they'll remain its biggest overseas locations for years, officials tell the Washington Post . The Obama administration is counting on... More »

US Sending 'Mothership' to Gulf for Special Ops

Navy retrofitting warship for commando missions: Washington Post

(Newser) - With the US increasingly relying on targeted special ops instead of large military forces, the Pentagon will send an aging warship to the Gulf region to serve as a "mothership" for Navy SEALs and other special forces fighting Somali pirates, al-Qaeda, and other threats (like maybe this ), reports... More »

Even in Death, Secrecy Shrouds SEAL Team 6

Navy asks for caution, saying news already 'has become a threat'

(Newser) - Little is known about the Navy's vaunted SEAL Team 6, but not much more is known about the 17 members killed in a helicopter crash last week in Afghanistan , reports the LA Times in a look at how the secretive unit even grieves under the radar. The widow of... More »

Was Crashed Copter's Rescue Mission Necessary?

Investigators probing that question

(Newser) - A heartbreaking twist in the helicopter tragedy that claimed 38 US and Afghan lives: The rescue mission the troops were en route to may not even have been necessary. Special Operations forces in the remote Tangi Valley requested assistance after coming under fire from "several" insurgents, even though they... More »

30 US Troops Die in Afghan Chopper Crash

Deadliest incident in decade-old war; Karzai sends condolences

(AP) - A helicopter crash in Afghanistan's eastern Wardak province has killed 30 US special operation troops and seven Afghan soldiers, Hamid Karzai said today. (The US figure was revised from 31.) It was the highest number of casualties recorded in a single incident in the decade-long war. NATO confirmed... More »

Meet the Secret Team That Took Down bin Laden

'National Journal' offers an inside look at the JSOC

(Newser) - An elite Navy SEALs team is credited with taking down Osama bin Laden, and in the National Journal , Marc Ambinder offers a look inside the "highly mythologized" SEAL Team Six and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to which it belongs. SEAL Team Six, officially known as the Naval... More »

Pentagon Presses for Special-Ops Raids in Pakistan

But some in administration fear political fallout will be too great

(Newser) - Frustrated US military commanders in Afghanistan are pushing for a series of Special Ops ground raids in Pakistan, sources tell the New York Times , in essence opening up a new front in the war. The raids would likely need approval from President Obama himself, and the wary administration fears political... More »

Obama Doubles Special Ops in Afghanistan

Administration fears time is running out to stop Taliban

(Newser) - The Obama administration has more than doubled the number of special forces in Afghanistan, tasking them with hunting down Taliban leaders—in part because it’s worried that the US has a dwindling window to defang the insurgency before its scheduled 2011 withdrawal, senior officials tell the LA Times . They’... More »

US Going After New Al-Qaeda Haven: Somalia

Military helping government retake capital from insurgents

(Newser) - Worried about Somalia's growing role as a sanctuary for al-Qaeda, the US is helping the government prepare for a major offensive to retake its capital after a decade of fighting, writes Jeffrey Gettleman at the New York Times . So far, most of the help has been in the form of... More »

Military's New Afghanistan Chief Gets Free Rein

Allowed to choose own team as Obama prioritizes effort

(Newser) - With Afghanistan a priority for the administration, officials have given the new US commander there free rein to select his team, the New York Times reports. Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s job “is that important. Afghanistan is the main effort right now,” said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.... More »

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