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Comments:  60
Last update - 18:23 15/11/2008
Report: U.S. secretly attacked dozens of Mideast targets since 2004
By The Associated Press
Tags: Israel News, al-Qaida, Syria 


The U.S. military has conducted nearly a dozen secret operations against al-Qaida and other terrorist groups in Syria, Pakistan and other countries since 2004, The New York Times reported Sunday night.

Citing anonymous U.S. officials, the Times story said the operations were authorized by a broad classified order that then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld signed and President George W. Bush approved in spring 2004. The order gave the military authority to attack al-Qaida anywhere in the world and to conduct operations in countries that were not at war with the U.S.
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One such operation was an Oct. 26 raid inside Syria, the Times reported.

Washington has not formally acknowledged the raid, but U.S. officials have said the target was a top al-Qaida in Iraq figure. Syria has asked for proof and said eight civilians were killed in the attack.

In another mission, in 2006, Navy SEALs raided a suspected terrorist compound in Pakistan's tribal areas.

The raids have typically been conducted by U.S. Special Forces, often in conjunction with the Central Intelligence Agency, the newspaper said. Even though the process has been streamlined, specific missions have to be approved by the defense secretary or, in the cases of Syria and Pakistan, by the president.

A Defense Department spokesman had no comment Sunday night on the Times
report.


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      1.   To True 07:04  |  Mark Lincoln 10/11/08
      2.   We`ll Never Never Know And Rightly So... 07:09  |  Yosemite 10/11/08
      3.   Cool 09:37  |  MarkC 10/11/08
      4.   Not surprising 10:20  |  Peter Williams 10/11/08
      5.   OBAMA MUST ORDER THEM TO STOP 10:27  |  indrajaya 10/11/08
      6.   Typical behaviour of a rogue State. 11:13  |  examiner 10/11/08
      7.   Mark Lincoln 11:33  |  TonyL 10/11/08
      8.   Indrajaya 12:07  |  Yosemite 10/11/08
      9.   THEIR ONLY RESULT WAS MUGHNIYAH GOT KILLED 12:08  |  indrajaya 10/11/08
      10.   The rule of the Assads is not aimed at improving peace. 12:11  |  Mario Sala 10/11/08
      11.   # 1 Mark Lincoln 12:15  |  Nick Ferriman 10/11/08
      12.   Individuals need to be made responsible for their actions 13:48  |  Natallie Durson 10/11/08
      13.   How many innocents died? 14:56  |  zaz 10/11/08
      14.   # 1, MARK LINCOLN 15:09  |  indrajaya 10/11/08
      15.   # 8, YOSEMITE 15:29  |  indrajaya 10/11/08
      16.   Al Kaida attacked the US, what do they expect? 15:33  |  Rina 10/11/08
      17.   Covert operations ... 15:44  |  Cynical 10/11/08
      18.   #9 Indrajaya :o) 15:51  |  Murray of Montreal 10/11/08
      19.   Obama will continue policy as before 15:59  |  obamama 10/11/08
      20.   Frontline Defenders 16:00  |  Brod 10/11/08
      21.   To indrajaya # 5 16:01  |  Gilbert 10/11/08
      22.   U.S. covert ops 16:05  |  David Zukerman 10/11/08
      23.   covert ops quickly become terrorist when leaders 16:33  |  like bush and 10/11/08
      24.   #5, Obama Must Continue With These Ops 17:13  |  Gary 10/11/08
      25.   #19 17:20  |  the ant queen 10/11/08
      26.   Re: Indrajaya # 5 17:29  |  Angel 10/11/08
      27.   Re: Natallie Durson # 12 17:34  |  Angel 10/11/08
      28.   Big difference between IDF and US Forces 18:53  |  Dave Duncan 10/11/08
      29.   Obama Can Learn From Clinton 19:06  |  Mark of Lewiston 10/11/08
      30.   Mark Lincoln and the Republican monster under his bed 19:07  |  Jacob Blues 10/11/08
      31.   Not Mentioned - More Ops Disapproved 19:16  |  Mark of Lewiston 10/11/08
      32.   This is what allies are for. 19:30  |  Karliner 10/11/08
      33.   VERY GOOD!!! 19:50  |  Montrealer 10/11/08
      34.   They missed Gaza 20:41  |  Yacov 10/11/08
      35.   To the leftoids 21:08  |  Colin Wright 10/11/08
      36.   1, Mark L 22:07  |  Harry 10/11/08
      37.   #23 don`t you ever stop? 22:47  |  Lynn 10/11/08
      38.   Indrajya fair and balanced 22:53  |  Dr Noam 10/11/08
      39.   Thoughts 23:12  |  Zach 10/11/08
      40.   EXAMINER Rogue state? like SAS assasinating IRA operatives 00:39  |  PETER SM. 11/11/08
      41.   How about hiting something important 01:27  |  docd 11/11/08
      42.   PETER SM.-you are quite right 02:09  |  examiner 11/11/08
      43.   DAVE DUNCAN US forces are fighting to protect the USA 02:27  |  PETER SM 11/11/08
      44.   EXAMINER Do you advocate do whatever you like 04:04  |  PETER SM 11/11/08
      45.   well they did not do a good job hitting the targets since iran is 05:05  |  glenna 11/11/08
      46.   Great democracy!! 05:45  |  Niva dos Santos 11/11/08
      47.   To the man with a hammer 06:11  |  Mark Lincoln 11/11/08
      48.   45 Glenna - Have You Read 07:54  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/11/08
      49.   Docd - Congress Said No 08:03  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/11/08
      50.   Mark Lincoln 08:13  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/11/08
      51.   Mark Lincoln 08:41  |  Yosemite 11/11/08
      52.   the RIGHTEOUS AMERICA 09:19  |  VIPER 11/11/08
      53.   the Self Righteous viper 09:43  |  Ari ben Yisrael 11/11/08
      54.   PETER SM 10:53  |  examiner 11/11/08
      55.   Re: Mark of Lewiston #48 16:14  |  Angel 11/11/08
      56.   55 Angel - War Powers Interpretation 20:52  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/11/08
      57.   Re: Mark of Lewiston # 56 01:22  |  Angel 12/11/08
      58.   #48;i care about one thing:stopping a/mad/jad from getting a nuke 06:27  |  glenna 12/11/08
      59.   Countries allowing terrorists against US are at war with US 23:58  |  John Isenhower 14/11/08
      60.   Talk rumors more frabrications not exactly reality RIGHT ??? 02:53  |  M. S. 16/11/08
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