The claim in the headline comes via Pravda in the following article (emphasis mine) :

The Pentagon of Democrats: the War Continues, But it is Not Seen

Barack Obama’s smile is nicer than George W. Bush, but is even more aggressive and warmongering. In the era of budgetary constraints and public relations, the White House has waived the televised Live bombings preferring secret interventions in the four cardinal points. Through covert operations by special forces, the U.S. is at war today in 75 countries.

War is more than we can see daily. In addition to the military operations taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon is waging a secret war in which Iran is one of the main targets. That war is being waged under the coordination of the Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), which has about 57,000 experts from all four branches of the U.S. armed forces (Army, Navy, Air and Marines).

Their missions are officially obtaining information on the enemy, conducting direct action in the destruction of targets, with conventional war, the elimination and capture of enemies by external forces trained and organized by the USSOCOM; counterinsurgency aimed at helping allied governments suppress any rebellion and psychological warfare operations aimed at influencing foreign public opinion to support U.S. military action.

A research paper from the Washington Post said that U.S. forces now in charge of special operations are no longer deployed in 60 countries, as last year, but 75 [1]. The growing importance of these forces is further demonstrated by the fact that “the commanders of the special forces are now more present in the White House than in the Bush era.”

The area where these operations are concentrated, which officially receives financing of 10 billion dollars, covers the Middle East, Central Asia and East Africa. But there are “plans for preventive or retaliatory attacks in many parts of the world, for use when a plot is discovered or after an attack.”

The use of the forces in charge of special operations offers the ‘advantage’ of not needing congressional approval and is kept secret. Such operations, administration officials said [Obama] quoted by UPI, “could pave the way for military strikes against Iran if it sharpens the showdown over Tehran’s nuclear program.”

As part of “unconventional warfare”, the USSOCOM relies on private military companies, such as Xe Services (formerly known as Blackwater, already known for its actions in Iraq), which is being used in several special operations, including search and intelligence on Iran. In this case, directly or indirectly USSOCOM supports rebel groups, particularly those in the Southeast, mostly Sunnis.

And it does so without beating about the little questioning as one of those groups, called “People’s Holy Warriors,” appears in the list of terrorist organizations, specifically drafted by Washington. The United States is pursuing the same policy in Afghanistan, where the forces responsible for conducting special operations use the local warlords.

Among these is Matiullah Khan who, as reported by the New York Times [2], is fighting insurgents with his private army with U.S. Special Forces. The latter have their headquarters about a hundred meters from Matiullah Khan.

This guarantees the convoys of NATO, which in turn pays them 1200 dollars per truck. Matiullah Khan has thus become the richest and most powerful warlord of the province. All thanks to what the Pentagon calls “unconventional warfare.”

Manlio DiNucci. Geographer and political scientist

Notes:

[1] “Obama enlarges selective murders”, Network Voltaire, June 5, 2010.

[2] “With U.S. Aid, Warlord Builds Afghan Empire”, by Dexter Filkins, New York Times, June 5, 2010.

Interesting point there being the supposed bribes being paid out to local warlords to ensure safe passage of the convoys. If they are still having to resort to those tactics after around 8 years and many billions of dollars already spent, how much longer will they be there before they realise that it just isn’t going to work whilst the warlords are, no doubt, stocking up on ammunition and more weapons.