Moving Targets

American military officials have recently been struggling to find an effective strategy to counter the Iraqi resistance movement. One solution that has been proposed, and is being strongly supported by US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, is to increase the number of Special Forces units who can operate covertly and in small numbers. The deployment of Special Forces does not need to be approved by Congress, and their operations are largely unmonitored by the public. Veteran reporter Seymour Hersh warns against the danger of using Special Forces without strong, clear intelligence about how to use them and who the enemies are. In the Vietnam War, American forces relied too heavily on Special Force operatives, which resulted in unnecessary loss of life and a muddled, unsuccessful campaign. To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, Hersh warns officials to plan carefully before activating the force. – YaleGlobal