US sends more soldiers on covert missions

The US military is expanding covert operations in the Middle East, central Asia and the Horn of Africa, sending troops on undercover operations that were previously left mainly to the CIA and other civilian spy agencies.

Pentagon officials confirmed today that General David Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, signed the order in September to broaden the scope of surveillance and other undercover work in these regions.

It opens the way for clandestine operations more extensive than those approved under the Bush administration. There are few details in the order about specific operations, but US military teams have been variously reported to be active in Iran, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.

Special operations teams will work, sometimes alongside local forces, to penetrate and disrupt groups such as al-Qaida and prepare for future attacks, possibly against Iran.

The New York Times, which disclosed the existence of the new order, said it was aimed primarily at intelligence-gathering rather than the kind of offensive covert actions directed by Donald Rumsfeld while he was Bush's defence secretary.

According to the Times, the focus of the intelligence-gathering is to identify militants and it would be carried out not only by American troops but by business workers, academics and others.

This revelation will increase the already existing suspicion in some of these countries of people travelling for business or study.

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