Washington Post: Expansion of the Operational Scope of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command

The Obama administration has expanded the powers and operational scope of the U.S. Armed Forces' Special Operations Command so that this force can conduct direct operations worldwide against terrorist organizations and groups, in addition to reconnaissance and planning. U.S. officials say the increase in the operational scope of this unit is a response to concerns about the potential dispersal of ISIS forces after losing their controlled territories in Syria and Iraq. The U.S. Army Special Operations Command is the entity responsible for designing and executing the operation to capture Osama bin Laden in 2011. According to the Washington Post report, the operational scope of this unit will now extend beyond the territories of countries like Iraq, Syria, or Libya, where it previously conducted covert operations. This unit, which has so far operated under the commands of U.S. Armed Forces in various parts of the world, is set to become an intelligence and operational force called the 'Foreign Operations Special Force,' which will involve various security and military agencies in its operations. The report indicates that the 'Foreign Operations Special Force' will operate under the 'Special Operations Command' of the Armed Forces and ultimately the U.S. Department of Defense, allowing it to act independently of the U.S. Army commands in various parts of the world when necessary. According to an unnamed U.S. official, the establishment of this operational unit in the final days of Barack Obama's presidency is the result of experiences and plans related to targeting terrorist organizations outside conflict zones. However, it is unclear whether Donald Trump, the elected President of the United States, will maintain this organization or other new entities established by the Obama administration. This new unit can also assist U.S. allies in intelligence matters or in planning and executing operations and can even participate in joint operations with allied forces on their soil. In other parts of the world where there are unstable governments, this force will operate unilaterally. Pentagon officials hope this force will work closely with the CIA, thereby improving cooperation between the most important intelligence agency and military operational units, which 'has not been very good in the past.' In recent years, the CIA's involvement in U.S. cross-border operations, especially in critical areas like Pakistan, Yemen, and Syria, has decreased, and its drone missions in Syria have been transferred to the Department of Defense. It remains unclear how much cooperation the CIA will have with this new command and generally how this agency's cooperation with the Department of Defense will be after Donald Trump's presidency begins. At the same time, it seems that the CIA, given its extensive espionage network and agents worldwide and its experiences in covert operations, will have a relatively broader operational scope than this special group. The CIA has not responded to the Washington Post's inquiries on this matter.