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Special Ops Now Defines the Pentagon's Expanding Wars
William H McRaven is an admiral in Obama’s Navy. He was a member of Seal Team 3 and oversaw the killing of Osama Bin Laden. He’s the consummate Special Ops warrior and wants more special ops forces, more drones and, most significantly, more “autonomy” (read, power). He wants “his” troops in more places. He is now lobbying to expand his “freedom” by building a bigger personal arsenal of undercover operatives under his command.
The NY Times refers to his guys somewhat vaguely as “elite units” that “have traditionally operated in the dark corners of American foreign policy.” That shines light on it, doesn’t it? What it says is: forget transparency and accountability. The hidden government is always hiding. These units like Special Forces, Delta Force, SEALs, and Rangers often operate outside the chain of command, and as they become institutionally stronger they tend to dominate military decision-making. 
McRaven’s ambition represents a takeover of the military by more and more clandestine killer units. They are deceptive, secretive, and are growing in influence. There are no cuts planned in this realm. Under military governments, these are the units who support the secret police, often engaging in torture and murder with impunity.
They are given a sense of being our supermen – the real chosen people; ordinary rules don’t apply to them.
Democracy is not their “thing.”
At the same time, they operate in a climate of high stress, prone to mistakes, As the military newspaper Stars And Stripes points out:
“The families of all troop operations live with fear, craving every crumb of information they can find about their deployed service-members, whether through military channels, Facebook, email or other outlets. Special operations families get less information.
For special operations forces, ranging from Army Special Forces and Rangers to Marine Force Recon to Air Force Pararescue to Navy SEALs, there are no public welcome home ceremonies, no crowds to sing their praises. Even if their missions, such as the raid in which bin Laden was killed, become public, the troops and their families remain anonymous.
Since most of those in special operations forces are recruited from within the services, the average member is older and has a larger family unit than those in other military occupations, according to Special Operations Command Europe commander Maj. Gen. Michael S. Repass.”
Officials are attracted to these well-rained, real-life “action figures”. They like the idea of having “badasses” at their beck and call. Like New York’s Mayor Bloomberg, they see special units as their ‘private army,” but, unlike Mayor Mike, usually don’t say so.
JFK gave us the “Green Berets” who were glamorized in movies, with a pop song of their own, only to be later ground up in the Vietnam War like our other forces.
There is a growing fusion between intelligence ops and the military. To watch how this works, just follow Leon Panetta’s career from CIA to The Pentagon. This command is an army within the army. It has doubled in size since 2001 with an official budget of $10.5 billion that is probably understated. They have at least 12,000 operatives in the field with 66,000 in the command itself and operate in more than 70 countries. Can you name them? I didn’t think so.
The new Denzel Washington flick Safe House, shot in Cape Town, South Africa, takes us into the nether world of assassins and secret jails at the heart of the Special Ops mission. It’s not pretty.
Many of these “counter-terrorists” become, in fact, terrorists.
McRaven is very media savvy with a degree, no less, in journalism. He was the go-to guy used by Obama to put Bin Laden on ice through an extrajudicial killing. They don’t call it assassination or liquidation, but that’s what it was.
According to the New York Times, "In February, Mr. Panetta called Vice Adm. William H. McRaven, commander of the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command, to CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, to give him details about the compound and to begin planning a military strike. Admiral McRaven, a veteran of the covert world who had written a book on American Special Operations, spent weeks working with the C.I.A. on the operation and came up with three options: a helicopter assault using U.S. Navy SEALs, a strike with B-2 bombers that would obliterate the compound, or a joint raid with Pakistani intelligence operatives who would be told about the mission hours before the launch."
Wikipedia reports, “the day before the assault, Mr. Obama took a break from rehearsing for the White House Correspondents Dinner that night to call Admiral McRaven, to wish him luck." Thus blessed, he became a runner-up for Time’s Man of the year. He even played football for the NFL.
What a perfect resume to get the full General Petraeus treatment. He is our latest “hero” in the making.
In the media world, including in many Hollywood films and the latest video games, Special Ops gets the Full Monte treatment, despite their well-cultivated mad-dog wild-man image. This idealization of killer commandos is nothing new. Back in 1910, Theodore Roosevelt, known for his exploits as a “rough rider” in the Spanish American War, was ecstatic about their role:
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy course; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
While The NY Times reports the Admiral wants a freer hand, Fox reports it is already happening with the Pentagon’s Afghan role likely to be expanded with more special ops warriors. (Even, as we are told troops there are being “drawn down”!)
With the passage of the NDAA Defense Authorization act, how soon will it be before these tactics come home? We are already seeing the militarization of the police in the “homeland” or “Battlefield” or whatever the hell we are living in. The use of sophisticated sound weapons and infiltration against Occupy protesters is a sign that they are already being targeted as terrorists.
A commitment to more special forces is a commitment to more imperial intervention and specialized units operating above and beyond the law. It’s more secrecy in government with a constant danger of abuse. It promises more secrecy and manipulation.
Our President, as a candidate, opposed bad wars. Now, he hasn’t seen many wars he doesn’t want to get involved in—as long as they can be fought in the shadows.
Who’s going to tell his (Mc)Raven: Never More.
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Show All"William H McRaven is an admiral in Obama’s Navy. He was a member of Seal Team 3 and oversaw the killing of Osama Bin Laden."
Correction: He oversaw the killing of some poor schmuck we were told was Bin Laden, but whose body was flown a couple of thousand miles into the sea to respect some non-existent supposedly Muslim custom, and therefore could not be verified as Bin Laden.
Just like all the 9/11 debris that was shipped out, a monumental crime of destruction of evidence of an even more monumental crime.
Other than this little quibble, I agree entirely with Danny Schechter here. But ghoulish goons such as the aptly named McRaven are simply other fruits on the same tree that gave us 9/11 and our current nightmare reality.
Some have speculated that the future of the American military is likely to evolve into such units as Schechter is describing. Police action may be more the mode of state-run social control in future... it allows for more circumvention of laws and limits.
Armies still follow too many rules and procedures to be effective in the new order.
Seriously, the biggest flaw here is assuming that any of this is news.
COINTELPRO has been the defacto method for quelling activism (and activists) domestically for several decades (and activist's efforts were similarly stymied by secret agents and agencies well before that). The same in Europe and elsewhere though the name of the program may have been GLADIO, etc. US Special Ops have operated pretty seamlessly throughout the world, partnering with the military and secret services of EVERY other country.
There are no laws that govern their activities. And basically, there never have been.
In reviewing the operations of secret services, we best see the power structure of the empire and how it views itself... above any law, even though they have written them all themselves.
"Make any law you want, I will obey it, but you won't." one citizen's description of life in the police state.
2 points - didn't the Oilybomber come out and say that its not considered a war if US troops aren't killed.
Maybe that's changed to US troops getting killed and we don't hear about it.
Also I've seen 110-120 as the number of countries the USA conducted covert ops in during the last few years.
At this point it would be easier to try and guess the countries that Didn't get a visit from the CIA and US covert op troops.
The Obama administration has relied ever more heavily on these elite military units, which have become what amounts to a secret army under the command of the US president and accountable to no one. JSOC, like the CIA, has been empowered to draw up kill lists of alleged terrorists and launch assassination missions. Unlike the CIA, it is not required to secure a “presidential finding” authorizing lethal covert operations, or submit to congressional oversight.
The increasing reliance on such methods has been facilitated by the embrace of militarism and imperialism by a layer of the affluent upper-middle class that previously was identified with anti-war sentiments. Typical of this milieu is Newsweek editor Tina Brown, who penned a nauseating editorial recently praising Obama for being “the Caped Crusader when it comes to commanding America's killing machine.” She described a recent exploit by American special ops forces in Somalia as “like hearing from afar the lost chords of 'America the Beautiful,'” adding that “Seal Team 6 has become a more vivid symbol of the power of the great American idea than positive GDP statistics.”
Those prepared to extol the exploits of elite killing squads abroad as the essence of the “American idea” will not shrink from the use of similar methods in suppressing any challenge to the rule of the financial elite at home.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/pers-f14.shtml
But if another country was here in the US doing those same things, they would be labeled terrorists.
The arrogance and hypocrisy of the US is amazing.
And we get to pay the bill.
Just as the best way to rob a bank is to become one; and the best way to camouflage acts that increasingly simulate those used by Nazis, is to partner with the Jews, the best way to befuddle a public into thinking of the "kinder, gentler" uses of killing squads is to equate these with a president commonly referred to as a liberal (or even Progressive). When both "teams" salute the warrior caste, violence becomes seamlessly woven into the fabric of the entire society. I term this monstrous ethos, "Mars rules." Others say the same thing without mention of the mythological prototype. I think understanding the ancient roots of this disease is important to any healing process, en masse.
"With the passage of the NDAA Defense Authorization act, how soon will it be before these tactics come home? We are already seeing the militarization of the police in the “homeland” or “Battlefield” or whatever the hell we are living in. The use of sophisticated sound weapons and infiltration against Occupy protesters is a sign that they are already being targeted as terrorists."
How soon? Within the collective emotional/psychological shock/stupor of the immediate aftermath of the next False Flag.
And remember, the fascists have fully authorized domestic drone spying on citizens i.e. "terrorists"
These tactics are already in use at home in the US. Why do you think various Police forces fall all over each other trying to recruit ex-SpecOps soldiers into their ranks, snapping up those who do not join Blackwater/Xe/Academi? Why do you think so much milspec gear is being bought by the Police?
Predator drones already patrol the skies over the US (and Canada), and Blackwater/Xe/Academi mercs were Bush's bodyguard during his tour of hurricane ravaged NOLA.
America has finally morphed into the dark police state many justly feared. But the average American is just too indoctrinated to give a damn.
There may be a simple accounting procedure at work behind this surge of support for Government Black Ops terrorists.
Because of all the fancy tax dodges/breaks given to the financial Elite, billions of dollars are hidden away from US Government collection coffers. Those taxes, besides paying for roads, bridges, schools, etc., are where the US Military gets all the cash to build the facilities to build their nuclear, exotic energy and biological WMDs.
Brand Obama's junta has frozen the assets to build or expand these facilities, based on the FACT that the cupboard is bare!
So you HAVE to use trained specialist assassins to do the dirty work that used to be carried out by the threat of utter annihilation.
I think the neo-cons didn't think this one all the way through, and now their pet policies have turned on them and their warmongering.
I dare say I feel a twinge of elation over this news.
Source: http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/02/14/starving-the-real-beast/
The author sounds jealous of the guys.
Re: "Full Monte"
Sorry to be pedantic but it's "Full Monty" as per the film title, not "Monte"
The origins of this description refer to the the breakfast enjoyed by Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, "Monty".
A "Full Monty" breakfast comprises everything: egg, sausage, bacon, beans, tomato, fried bread, bubble and squeak, black pudding, mushrooms and whatever else is available
Hmmm
The "use" of special ops while certainly increasing significantly isn't the real news here. The really scary aspect of all of this is the general trend by the US Military to consolidate ever larger parts of the military under the special ops wing. Coupled with that consolidation and reclassification is the terrifying increase by the US of mercs and "contractors". The result is a terrorist organization with almost unlimited funds, operating uder the guise of "national security", that is completely unaccountable to the American people. I mean if you don't know that it exists, what it really does, how much money they are burning etc. and their daily, weekly, monthly actions are never released to the public you have the perfect terrorist machine. And people the US is by far the number one terrorist country in the world today. We have the largest military, we spend roughly as much per year as the rest of the world combined. Our brave soldiers have managed to kill well over 2 million civilians since 1991 in the Middle East alone. Funny how they are almost all Muslims though. Our military has literally destroyed entire countries in the Middle East. All in the name of "saving" them from some evil or another. I never could figure out how blowing up entire cities and killing many of the people in it was "saving" anything. And of course the only countries we have attacked and destroyed just happed to be the one's that israel wanted out of way. Wow how nice for israel. And just think it didn't cost them a penny or a soldier lost. On the other hand the US has spent TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS, had hundreds of thousands of casualties and thousands of dead. What is really odd of course is that this was all done in the name of protecting America from the "terrorists". And still 20 years after the first attack against Iraq our borders remain totally and completely UNSECURED. And in 2 decades with over 2.5 million illegal border crossings just from Mexico per year not one single terrorist crossed the border and attacked America. So instead of sealing our borders we send our military thousands of miles to attack and destroy entire third world countries. Countries that have never ever presented any military threat to America what so ever. Countries whose military (except Iran) was firmly rooted in about 1960 in terms of capabilities. And yet we killed millions and millions of innocent civilians that have never done anything to America or Americans. People please stop and think about what has happened
America had to go covert becuase not just the American people but the world at large would never have allowed this slaughter to continue if their actions were exposed to the light of day....
And for the record I am a veteran. I proudly served in the United States Army as an infantry soldier and was honorably discharged.
Rangers outstide the chain of command! Not in the Second World War were they. Not even the vaunted OSS or Office of Stategic Services, the US civilian central intelligence service of that time was. Franklin D Roosevelt wouldn't allow that in the least not even though he liked William J "Wild Bill" Donovan the head of the OSS and surely would have sympathetic to him when in March 1945 with Moscw as a US ally against the Naizs Donovan came came under attack from a chair of a congressional committee for "protecting Communists." Actually as it turned out some of his subordinates were not only protecting them but recruiting them to beat the hell out of the Nazis in Italy as they were very reliable to the utmost. The war department at the time even had come out as a supreme court decision saying being a Communist wouldn't in any way a person less useful for the military or less patriotic. Moscow was Communist. "Surprse!" It's amazing some including that one Democratic congressional committee chair could be so out of it. Yes Democrat! The congress was Democratic then as were all committee chairs.
Come February 24 you will be able to watch an actual Hollywood movie about these "elite" troops, the Navy Seals, and their actions to supposedly defend our freedoms from the terrorists. This non-documentary film has an extra gimmick as it uses real Navy Seals in the cast. The title of the film is "Act of Valor" and it looks like another step in the militarization of our culture. I've seen the ads for it on TV and it meshes quite well with the new Navy ads which feature the advertising slogan - "A Global Force for Good". Very subtle. Another reason to be concerned is that the Navy ad boys almost certainly test marketed this commercial before paying the big bucks to put it on the air nationwide. I would guess that it tested well. The idea of McRaven directing his troops both worldwide and here in the "Homeland" in special ops that have little or no Congressional oversight is scary. We already know that Blackwater or Xe or whatever the hell their name is disgraced themselves in Iraq and here in the United States. Will these Navy Seals also get away with murder and the abrogation of our civil liberties by implementing the excuse of "national security"?