Pirate's Cove

Perhaps Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick should worry less about the GOP blocking Obama’s agenda as “almost sedition,” and worry a bit more about the MSM performing “possible treason”: New York Times’ Front Page Announces U.S. Expansion of ‘Secret Military Acts’ in Middle East

The New York Times, giving America’s friends and foes a heads-up, reports that Gen. David Petraeus signed a “secret directive” in September authorizing “a broad expansion of secret military activity” in the Middle East.

Special Operations troops will go to “both friendly and hostile nations in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa to gather intelligence and build ties with local forces,” said a report published online on Monday, May 24. The report appears in Tuesday’s newspaper.

Gen. Petraeus’ order also “permits reconnaissance that could pave the way for possible military strikes in Iran if tensions over its nuclear ambitions escalate.”

Obviously, the enemy would have an inkling that these are the kinds of things that we would be doing against them. To come out and tell them that we are in fact doing this is a danger to our troops. Our intelligence agencies can only do so much, and, really, special ops have gathered intelligence for a long time, as well as built ties. Over to the Times article

But some Pentagon officials worry that the expanded role carries risks. The authorized activities could strain relationships with friendly governments like Saudi Arabia or Yemen — which might allow the operations but be loath to acknowledge their cooperation — or incite the anger of hostile nations like Iran and Syria.

Perhaps the Times should have considered the implications before they decided to expose this program.

The precise operations that the directive authorizes are unclear, and what the military has done to follow through on the order is uncertain. The document, a copy of which was viewed by The New York Times, provides few details about continuing missions or intelligence-gathering operations.

Thank God for small favors, otherwise the Times would have exposed that for the enemy to see.

Several government officials who described the impetus for the order would speak only on condition of anonymity because the document is classified.

Hmm, if it is classified, perhaps that means it is %#$*&^ secret, and should have remained that way, Grey Lady.

The seven-page directive appears to authorize specific operations in Iran, most likely to gather intelligence about the country’s nuclear program or identify dissident groups that might be useful for a future military offensive.

Great. Now the Iranians have a clearer picture of our operations, and will be more vigilant in looking for our people.

I do hope that Obama grows a pair and goes after the people who leaked this classified report to the Times, something that the Bush admin. should have done. If he did make the attempt, I do not think it would be a far stretch to say that most of the Conservatives would support him in that venture.

Others: The Jawa Report, Prairie Weather, Informed Comment, The Agonist, Emptywheel, Associated Press, Truthdig and The Page