Middle East

U.S. Expands Secret Military Activity

In hopes of breaking up militant groups.

In an intriguing new development, General David Petraeus has ordered an expansion of clandestine military activity in the Middle East, The New York Times reports. The top American commander has increased the number of Special Operations forces sent to areas including Iran, Saudi Arabia, or Somalia in an effort to tackle militant groups and potentially counter threats, according to military documents. The secret directive, which was signed in September, is meant to build internal networks against al Qaeda and collect intelligence about future attacks. While the CIA and the Pentagon generally butt heads over the idea of clandestine activity, there appears to be no dispute over the September directive.