Vers une sorte d’“OTAN des forces spéciales”…

Vers une sorte d’“OTAN des forces spéciales”

On sait que le phénomène des “forces spéciales” est devenu un phénomène fondamental aux USA, au sein du Pentagone au point que l’on peut parler d’“un Pentagone au sein du Pentagone” (voir le 5 août 2011). Ces forces constituent un instrument privilégié du président Obama (voir le 12 mai 2011) dans la politique d’action illégale et d’élimination physique extérieure des USA dont il assure lui-même la direction. Il s’agit donc d'une sorte d’organisation-tueuse, ou organisation mafieuse par excellence, agissant comme telle, à la façon des gangs du crime organisé dans les années 1930 et 1930. On donne à dessein cette image, dans la mesure où cette évocation du “crime organisée” implique effectivement, dans cette action internationale, un mépris complet de la notion du Principe en général, du principe de la souveraineté nationale en particulier.

Les forces spéciales US ne cessent de prendre de l’importance. SOCOM (le commandement de ces forces) compte 66.000 personnes, militaires et civiles. En général, en temps courants, 54.000 d’entre elles sont en cours d’entraînement ou de déploiement opérationnel, 12.000 sont effectivement déployées dans des théâtres fixes, dont à peu près 9.000 dans la zone AfPak (Afghanistan-Pakistan). SOCOM espère ajouter 8.800 soldats dans les quatre prochaines années. Surtout, il espère développer une structure de commandement et de contrôle international, dans laquelle seront intégrées les forces spéciales de nombreux autres pays, de façon à former une sorte d’OTAN globale des forces spéciales, – ou d’OTAN du “crime organisé”, si l’on préfère l’image. C’est David Isenberg, de IPS News, qui développe cet aspect, le 25 mai 2012.

«It was recently reported that U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) commander Adm. Bill McRaven and Deputy Director of Operations Brig. Gen. Sean Mulholland want to establish a worldwide network linking special operations forces (SOF) of allied and partner nations to combat terrorism. If created, the network would comprise regional security coordination centres, organised and structured similarly to NATO SOF headquarters in Mons, Belgium.

»According to Mulholland, these centres would not be command-and- control nodes but rather centres for education, networking and coordination to gain regional solutions for regional problems. Mulholland estimated it would cost less than 30 million dollars a year to operate and maintain each regional node, although that is a figure that some observers consider laughably small. SOCOM plans to stand up the first one in Miami-based U.S. Southern Command later in 2013, with Mulholland tapped to command integrated SOF in Central and South America.

»This plan may seem ultra-ambitious but given the demand on and pace of U.S. SOF activities in recent years it hardly comes as a surprise. The forces will be conducting missions in 120 countries by year's end, up from about 75 currently. And while they account for only three percent of the military as a whole, they make up more than seven percent of the forces assigned to Iraq and Afghanistan.

»This activity is increasing as the U.S. Special Operations Command's budget is set to remain flat. The command's fiscal 2013 budget request is 10.4 billion dollars – essentially the same as its current budget. But the budget for the Special Operations Command has more than quadrupled since 2001, as has the number of deployments.

»The new edition of Joint Publication 3-05, published in April for Special Operations, lists 11 "core activities" versus 9 in the previous edition, reflecting the addition of "security force assistance" - aiding the development of foreign security forces - and counterinsurgency. SOCOM, based in Tampa, Fla., has about 66,000 military and civilian personnel. At any given time, 54,000 are training or redeploying, and 12,000 are deployed around the world. About 9,000 are in Afghanistan. SOCOM expects to add about 8,800 troops over the next four years – 2,500 this year, 2,300 in 2013, and 2,000 in 2014 and 2015. .. […]

»Some past SOF officials worry about the impact of the increased demand on SOF capabilities. In a Feb. 14 Foreign Policy article titled "SOF Power", retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, a former Army Ranger and former commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, said the Barack Obama administration has not adequately addressed important questions about the impact on the culture of special operations forces. The high demand for special operations over the past decade has contributed to a shortage of adequate support, such as helicopters dedicated to special operations forces, he said.

»The example people point to happened last August when 30 troops, including 22 Navy SEALs, were killed in Afghanistan when Taliban fighters shot down their helicopter - a Chinook, which typically is used for heavy transport and flown by a conventional crew. […]

»In early May the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. military leaders have developed new proposals to speed the deployment of U.S. SOF to a growing number of the world's trouble spots. Under the new military plan, U.S. SOF would deploy either as strike groups or trainers for local armed forces. The proposal fits with a new Pentagon military strategy put in place by President Obama in January that advocates greater use of special-operations forces.

»The plan for special-operations forces would streamline procedures in the defence department for deploying troops, relaxing review processes and giving regional U.S. commanders greater ease of access to special-operations forces and equipment. Currently, staff officers in the Pentagon review most requests to deploy troops around the globe. The system has been criticised for duplicating the Special Operations Command's planning process, but defenders say that getting Washington's input on troop movements, however small, is critical. Under the new proposal Adm. McRaven would assign SOF to the military's various combatant commanders. In the event of a crisis, the combatant commander could order those units to a trouble spot without going through a formal process to request forces.

»Adm. McRaven would have the power under the new proposal to deploy more forces during a crisis or conflict, without going through the formal Pentagon approval process. The plan also would allow SOCOM to move support assets, aviation units, surveillance equipment and intelligence specialists into trouble spots to aid commando teams. But critics say regional commanders may not be aware of the wider strategic signals moving assets around the globe might send to other nations. Review of all deployments, these officials say, is a critical safeguard against the U.S. inadvertently exacerbating regional tensions.»

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