Special ops leader seeks more authority

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. Special Operations Command chief said he would like greater autonomy to send forces where intelligence information indicates they're needed.

The request was from Adm. William H. McRaven, who oversaw the May 2 raid by a U.S. Navy SEAL team in which al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was killed on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Pentagon officials told The New York Times that while the command will have a bump in its budget in the new Defense Department spending plan, no decisions have been made on whether to expand McRaven's decision-making authority.

The White House and State Department did not comment.

Under new plans, a significant number of Special Operations forces would be deployed around the world. Commando teams would be available for operations involving terrorist targets and rescuing hostages, but the number of personnel on training and liaison assignments and information-gathering missions also would increase, officials said.

Officials emphasized that, in nearly all cases, the forces still would only be ordered on specific missions by the regional commander.

"It's not really about [Special Operations Command] running the global war on terrorism," McRaven told the Times. "I don't think we're ready to do that. What it's about is how do I better support [regional commanders]."