Joint Special Operations Command
The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) was established on December 15, 1980. JSOC is "located at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina and at nearby Fort Bragg, NC. JSOC is a joint headquarters designed to study special operations requirements and techniques; ensure interoperability and equipment standardization; plan and conduct joint special operations exercises and training; and develop joint special operations tactics."[1]
According to the GlobalSecurity.org web site, "Although JSOC's stated purpose is to provide a unified command structure for conducting joint special operations and exercises, it is widely reported that JSOC is actually the command responsible for conducting US counter-terrorism (CT) operations. JSOC is reported to command the US military's Special Missions Units (SMUs). These SMUs are tasked with conducting CT operations, strike operations, reconnaissance in denied areas, and special intelligence missions.
"Much of the hunting for senior Taliban and al Qaeda members in Afghanistan is being conducted by a unit called Task Force 11, composed mostly of Delta Force soldiers and SEALs.
"In 1998 the US Department of Defense's top policy official acknowledged that the military has covert action teams to combat terrorism and to counter potential terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). 'We have designated Special Mission Units [SMUs] that are specifically manned, equipped and trained to deal with a wide variety of transnational threats,' said Walter Slocombe, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy.
"JSOC units have reportedly been involved in a number of covert military operations over the last two decades. Some of these operations include providing assistance to Italian authorities during their search for kidnapped US Army Gen. James Dozier, participating in Operation Urgent Fury; the US invasion of Grenada, planning a rescue attempt of US hostages being held in Lebanon, rescuing hostages being held aboard the cruise liner Achille Lauro, participating in Operation Just Cause; the US intervention in Panama, directing US Scud hunting efforts during Operation Desert Storm, conducting operations in support of UN mandates in Somalia, and searching for suspected war criminals in the former Republic of Yugoslavia.
"JSOC units regularly conduct training with similar units from around the world, and provide training to nations that request US support. JSOC has also provide support to domestic law enforcement agencies during high profile, or high risk events such as the Olympics, the World Cup, political party conventions; and Presidential inaugurations.
"The full text of PDD-25 is reported to exempt the Joint Special Operations Command from the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 18USC Sec.1385, PL86-70, Sec. 17[d]. which makes it illegal for military and law enforcement to exercise jointly.[2]"
"With their 'black budget' SFOD-D and Hostage Rescue Team [HRT] of FBI train together at the $80million upgraded Range19 in Ft. Bragg, N.C. HRT also maintains an office at JSOC HQ in Ft. Pope adjacent to Ft. Bragg. Both SFOD-D and HRT train together at Quantico, Va. where they have exclusive use of a new airstrip with enlarged C141capability. 160 SOAR out of Ft. Campbell, KY flies SFOD-D/HRT to their city urban assault assignments. Several SOAR pilots have expressed uneasiness over the illegal SFOD-D/HRT relationship with local police and the plans to expand SFOD-D/HRT operations by 6 X's the current size. There will be a team in each of 6 regions around the nation which they refer to as 'war zones'.[3]
"For those not understanding, SFOD-D has, and rightly so, as their Standard Operational Procedure a 'take no survivors' policy once forces are committed. The same operational policy, weapons, and uniforms are used by HRT. The question you must ask - do you want an internal federal police force that has as its' Standard Operational Procedure a 'take no survivor' mentality? We need only think of Waco.[4]
"Because of the success of JSOC integrating SFOD-D with HRT, there is a changing mindset within the 'regular' military to expand the concept of military use of force against Americans. This is evident in The Marine Gazette, Sept. 1996 an article entitled 'New Threats Require New Orientations' written by Col. James A. Lasswell, Planning Div., and Col. Randolph A. Gangle, Senior Operations Advisor at Commandants Warfighting Lab. Together, they draw upon fictitious Hollywood plots [3 Lies, Sneakers, The Rock] as justification to suspend The Posse Comitatus Act and implement the use of all necessary operational military force against Americans. Career officers using Hollywood scripts to formulate operational policy."[5]
Related SourceWatch articles
- Proactive Preemptive Operations Group (P2OG)
- Task Force 121
- U.S. Special Operations Command
- Stanley A. McChrystal
External links
- Joint Special Operations Command Units (JSOC) at SpecialOperations.com.
