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thedrifter
03-08-06, 09:54 AM
US troops on spy missions
Reuters
09mar06

TEAMS of special operations troops are reportedly being placed in a growing number of American embassies in unstable parts of the world to gather intelligence on terrorists.

The troops, known as military liaison elements, also plan potential missions to "disrupt, capture or kill" the terrorists, said a report on the New York Times website.

Citing senior Pentagon officials and military officers as sources, the Times said the effort was part of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's two-year bid to give the military a greater intelligence role in the war on terrorism.

The paper said the effort had drawn opposition from traditional intelligence agencies such as the CIA.

It said that small groups of the special operations staff had been sent to more than a dozen embassies in South-East Asia, Africa and South America, where terrorists are thought to be operating, planning attacks, raising money or seeking safe haven.

The forces gather information to help plan counter-terrorism missions, and help local militaries conduct them, officials told the Times.

The special operations command reports to Mr Rumsfeld and not John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence, the newspaper said.

The teams may not arrive without the approval of the local ambassador, and the soldiers are trained to avoid mishaps with local citizens.

The forces include the army Green Berets and Rangers, the Navy Seals, the marines and special Air Force crews that carry out the most specialised or secret missions. Their skills range from quick strikes to long-range reconnaissance in hostile territory, military training and medical care.

Also yesterday, US MPs renewed the Patriot Act in a cliffhanger vote, extending a centrepiece of the war on terrorism at President Bush's urging. The vote came after months of political combat over the balance between privacy rights and the pursuit of potential terrorists.

Mr Bush's approval rating has suffered in recent months after revelations

Ellie