U.S. Special Operations forces travel through the village of Fatisah in the northern Syrian province of Raqqa on May 25, 2016. The missions could occur well beyond the battlefields of places like Iraq, Syria and Libya where Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) has carried out clandestine operations in the past. The task force will essentially turn Thomas into the leading authority when it comes to sending Special Operations units after threats. Instead, he decided that only in rare instances would SOCOM actually direct Special Operations forces. The White House, asked to comment on the plan, issued a statement that did not use JSOC’s name, but acknowledged the role Special Operations forces play in tracking foreign fighters away from the battlefield.

Source: Washington Post November 25, 2016 16:12 UTC