Rumsfeld Orders Special Operations Command Review

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Rumsfeld Orders Special Operations Command Review

James Joyner | Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld has ordered a thorough review of the Special Operations Command to determine how it might better fight terrorism.

Review Is Set for U.S. Forces in Terror Fight (NYT )

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has assigned a retired four-star general to review the Special Operations Command, the military headquarters with the lead role in counterterrorism, and assess how it can perform more effectively.

The decision to have the officer, Gen. Wayne A. Downing, a former head of the command, conduct the review reflects Mr. Rumsfeld’s impatience with the progress in the fight against global terrorism, and his periodic desire to summon outside experts to bring a fresh eye to daunting problems. Earlier this year, for instance, Mr. Rumsfeld dispatched another retired senior officer to Iraq to assess the training of Iraqi security forces.

[...]

In a brief visit last week to MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, the command’s headquarters, Mr. Rumsfeld told troops and officers that “the Special Forces Command clearly has a capability that is needed in this circumstance that we’re in.” But Mr. Rumsfeld, a staunch advocate of special operations forces, also told senior officers privately that the command had “to adjust rapidly to stay ahead of the threat,” said Kenneth McGraw, a command spokesman.

[...]

General Downing, who led the inquiry into the bombing at the Khobar Towers housing complex in Saudi Arabia in 1996, is known for his blunt, independent style.

All large organizations need tweaking, and I’m sure USSOCOM is no exception. Further, Downing’s reputation is sterling. Still, given the plaudits our special operators have received since 911, notably for their ingenious operations in Afghanistan, they would seem to be low on the priority list for close examination.

About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.

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