Los Angeles Times: Elite Military Forces to Get a Major Test
[url]http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-092301special.story[/url]
Elite Military Forces to Get a Major Test
Strategy: In the looming war on terrorism, special operations units trained in
sabotage and guerrilla warfare are likely to play a big role, experts say.
By EDMUND SANDERS
Times Staff Writer
September 23 2001
The Bush administration, confronted with a stealthy enemy in unforgiving
terrain, is embarking on the biggest mobilization of the military's elite
special operations units since the Vietnam War, experts say.
If successful, the use of these soldiers--highly trained in sabotage, kidnapping
and guerrilla warfare--could significantly bolster the role of special
operations in future U.S. military strategy, some experts add.
"This is the biggest test of special operations since Vietnam," said John Pike,
director of GlobalSecurity.org, a defense policy organization. "This mission
isn't just about capturing one guy. It's a long campaign with thousands of
combatants."
The role of special operations--which include the Green Berets, Navy SEALs and
Air Commandos--in the new war on terrorism has so far been uncharacteristically
high-profile, particularly because the military doesn't even officially
acknowledge the existence of some units, such as the counter-terrorist Delta
Force.
Last week, military officials announced that special operations would play a key
role in defeating Osama bin Laden and other terrorists. "These are people who
operate in the shadows and we have to deal with them in the shadows," said
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
A spokeswoman for the special operations command at Ft. Bragg, N.C., confirmed
that the unit received a deployment order, but would not say how many of its
46,000 active and reserve troops were being called into action.
In any given week, experts estimate, about 3,000 special operations soldiers are
deployed on 150 missions in 70 countries, conducting covert operations, training
foreign soldiers and forging ties with various factions. The $4-billion annual
budget for special operations represents less than 2% of Defense Department
spending.
Most Missions Never Revealed
Officials have stressed that the war on terrorism will be much larger and longer
than the quick in-and-out missions that have characterized special operations in
recent years, such as the 1989 capture of Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega.
Special operations units played only a minimal role in the Gulf War, tracking
down Scud missiles and putting laser targets on enemy equipment so laser bombs
could destroy them.