'War on terror' operations revealed
Donald Rumsfeld signed the order authorising the missions in 2004
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Monday, 10, Nov 2008 10:07
Former US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld signed an order approving covert military operations against al-Qaida in Syria, Pakistan and other countries, it has emerged.
The New York Times newspaper reported a senior US administration official saying the classified order was approved in 2004 as George Bush's administration sought to step up its efforts in the 'war on terror'.
As a result around ten operations involving special forces and some carried out in close cooperation with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) took place.
One incident in September 2006 saw a Navy Seal team attack a suspected militants' compound in Pakistan's Bajaur region.
This comes despite huge opposition from within Pakistan about US raids on its soil.
Earlier this year Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Quereshi told an audience in London such violations of Pakistan's sovereignty were deemed unacceptable in Islamabad.
No specific details were given about other operations carried out by the US, including which countries they occurred in.
But the official added that many proposed raids had been rejected by the Bush administration as being too risky or politically sensitive.