ABSTRACT
The attacks on 11 September 2001 brought about a number of changes in the United States’ national security outlook, not the least of which was a renewed willingness to consider covert action as a policy option. During this same period, the single most significant change in the military services has been the expansion, in both size and responsibility, of its special operations forces. The concurrence of these two trends has led to a blurring of the distinction of whether or not military units are conducting covert operations and raises important questions about congressional oversight. The Quadrennial Defense Review issued by the Pentagon in February 2006 stated unequivocally that special operations forces would be leading the ‘war on terror’, making it that much more important to understand the issues raised by potential military involvement in covert action.
